snowball effect
Momentum breeds momentum
A snowball effect is a process that starts small and builds momentum, growing larger and faster as it continues—like a snowball rolling downhill, accumulating more snow.
The term usually describes situations where initial changes trigger increasingly significant consequences: One complaint led to others, and the snowball effect eventually forced the CEO's resignation.
- gathering steamGaining power progressively
- domino effectSequential causation phenomenon
- knock-on effectSecondary consequence of action
- chain reactionSelf-sustaining causal sequence
- ripple effectCascading secondary results
compounding · cascade · butterfly effect · slippery slope · escalation · accumulation · exponential growth · tipping point · momentum · gaining traction · runaway train · positive feedback · buildup · feedback loop · amplification · piling on · emergent behavior · crescendo
- Weather Idiomsunder the weather, when it rains it pours, come rain or shine, rain check, take a rain check
- runaway effectschain reaction, domino effect, runaway effect, feedback loop, exponential growth
- cascadesfalls, flow, pour, torrent, rush
- vicious cyclesvicious cycle, downward spiral, debt spiral, death spiral, shame spiral
- consequencesconsequence, consequences, result, results, effect
- effectseffect, special effect, side effect, consequence, result
snowball effectdiminishing returns
Reduced benefit from additional effort
decay · decline · tapering off · petering out · fizzling out
snowball effectequilibrium
State of balance
homeostasis · regression to the mean · brake · check · restraint
snowball effectlinear progression
Movement in one direction only
steady state · even keel · plateau · stagnation · status quo
ball, snow, snowball, effects, effective, snowstorm, snowflake, snowfall, effectiveness