SNOWBALL Definition & Meaning

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snowball

[ snoh-bawl ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

a ball of snow pressed or rolled together, as for throwing.
any of several shrubs belonging to the genus Viburnum, of the honeysuckle family, having large clusters of white, sterile flowers.
a confection of crushed ice, usually in the shape of a ball, which is flavored with fruit or other syrup and served in a paper cup.
a scoop or ball of ice cream covered with shredded coconut and usually chocolate sauce.

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.

snowball

/ ˈ��əʊˌ��ɔː�� /

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

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of snowball¹

1350–1400; Middle English (noun); snow, ball ¹

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

"I'd started to get these really intense pins and needles in my hands. It was like throwing a snowball and then running your hands under hot water afterwards. It's really painful and hot."

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“You can’t let another team get started to their strengths,” Cronin said, “because you start a snowball rolling downhill, it picks up steam.”

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It follows the Southport knife attack in July, when misinformation about the attacker snowballed on social media, which Merseyside Police did not initially counter, leading to riots across the UK.

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Twenty-five years after the end of "Boy Meets World," stars Danielle Fishel and Maitland Ward's on-air reunion snowballed into a verbal spat, firing accusations against each other about their individual experiences working together.

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“Parents need to drop their kids off to go to work. If there’s nowhere for the kids to go, they can’t go to work or pay their bills. It’s just a snowball effect.”

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