snowball

[ snoh-bawl ]
/ ˈsnoʊˌbɔl /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR snowball ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

verb (used with object)

to throw snowballs at.
to cause to grow or become larger, greater, more intense, etc., at an accelerating rate: to snowball a small business into a great enterprise.

verb (used without object)

to grow or become larger, greater, more intense, etc., at an accelerating rate.

Origin of snowball

1350–1400; Middle English (noun); see snow, ball1

Words nearby snowball

snow-broth, snow-clad, snow-in-summer, snow-on-the-mountain, snow-white, snowball, snowball bush, snowball tree, snowball's chance in hell, a, snowbank, snowbell

Words related to snowballing

proliferate, widen, escalate, heighten, swell, multiply, intensify, thicken, strengthen, broaden, upsurge, lengthen, reinforce, supplement, redouble, triple, protract, further, sharpen, distend

Example sentences from the Web for snowballing

British Dictionary definitions for snowballing

snowball
/ (ˈsnəʊˌbɔːl) /

noun

snow pressed into a ball for throwing, as in play
a drink made of advocaat and lemonade
slang a mixture of heroin and cocaine
a dance started by one couple who separate and choose different partners. The process continues until all present are dancing

verb

(intr) to increase rapidly in size, importance, etc their woes have snowballed since last year
(tr) to throw snowballs at