SNOWBALLED Synonyms: 45 Similar and Opposite Words

snowballed

verb

past tense of snowball

as in increased

to become greater in extent, volume, amount, or number the little problems we ignored began to snowball into huge headaches

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of snowballed The financial pressure rapidly snowballed in recent weeks as bond yields spike and unprecedented student protests rock the country. — John Liu, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026 Two years of eating brownies and pizza as meals, never working out, and entrepreneurial pressure had snowballed into gastrointestinal reflux disease. — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2026 That relatively innocent idea eventually snowballed into something considerably more ambitious, and ultimately became the basis for La Cinquecento itself. — New Atlas, 29 Sep. 2026 The phenomenon snowballed under the watch of former President Jair Bolsonaro, Flávio Bolsonaro's father. — ABC News, 25 Sep. 2026 Steinem’s activism snowballed from there, campaigning for female political candidates and testifying before the Senate on behalf of the Equal Rights Amendment. — Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2026 In the three decades-plus since, a highly successful restaurant launch has snowballed into one of hospitality’s most recognizable global brands. — Nick Scott, Robb Report, 22 Aug. 2026 What started as isolated demonstrations has quickly snowballed into a season-defining narrative, forcing the WNBA to navigate a level of ideological polarization rarely seen in the league. — Jackson Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 21 Aug. 2026 But Carter wasn’t, and from there, without any significant consequences, there the fisticuffs snowballed to the point one defensive skirmish lasted about four minutes before both teams finally got separated. — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 20 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for snowballed

Verb

She's increased the amount of people in the league office which has helped the overall growth of the WNBA.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
Containment on the Bryson fire, which has scorched 147 acres near Encinal Canyon Road since igniting on Thursday, increased to 52% Saturday morning.

— Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of increased

Verb

Global manufacturers increased their purchases of components and raw materials in September as demand swelled.

— Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026
In extremely short order, the Belgian designer filled them and more, cresting the wave of growth that swelled across luxury between 2016 and 2023 (via the Covid slump).

— Luke Leitch, Vogue, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of swelled

Verb

His family, like many Lebanese Jews, left as anti-Jewish sentiment rose after the 1967 war between Israel and Arab countries.

— ABC News, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026
Then mines started to close and unemployment rose, and its owner, an elderly Italian named Netta Cavalli, was beaten in her shop and died soon after.

— Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of rose

Verb

During the demonstration, a Roadster prototype accelerated up a massive curved ramp.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026
The sell-off accelerated Wednesday after hotter-than-expected consumer inflation data raised concerns that the Federal Reserve could keep interest rates elevated for longer.

— Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of accelerated

Verb

Trump has vastly expanded ICE to ramp up deportations of immigrants, refugees and asylum-seekers, and the agency was a major part of last year’s law-enforcement surge in the Chicago area known as Operation Midway Blitz.

— Daniel C. Vock, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
Open Doors Foundation, which began operations in 2025 and quickly expanded before running into zoning and code issues at multiple properties this year, has sought to remain open at 3221 Independence Avenue, its original location.

— Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of expanded

Browse Nearby Words

snowball

snowballed

snowballing

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Snowballed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/snowballed. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of snowballed

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

compunction

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes