Word
snowball
Phoneticssnow·ball
US/ˈsnoʊˌbɔɫ/
UK/snˈəʊbɔːl/
Definition
v. to grow or increase very quickly. You use this when one small problem or idea suddenly becomes much bigger and harder to control.
v. to increase rapidly in size, intensity, or importance through a process of cumulative growth. Often describes situations where a small initial action triggers a series of larger consequences.
Examples
“The small argument began to snowball into a major fight.”
“What started as a minor technical glitch quickly began to snowball as more users reported the same issue.”
“The local protest began to snowball into a national movement as social media amplified the voices of those involved, eventually forcing a change in government policy.”
Examples
simple
“The small argument began to snowball into a major fight.”
contextual
“What started as a minor technical glitch quickly began to snowball as more users reported the same issue.”
complex
“The local protest began to snowball into a national movement as social media amplified the voices of those involved, eventually forcing a change in government policy.”
Usage
The verb is intransitive and does not take a direct object.
Idioms
cast snowballs — To be distant or reserved.
snowball effect — An accelerating growth of magnitude, including fame, fortune, importance, or danger.
snowball in hell — Something that is doomed.