- For the SpongeBob SquarePants episode, see List of SpongeBob SquarePants episodes.
Snowball effect is a figurative term for a process that starts from an initial state of small significance and builds upon itself, becoming larger (graver, more serious), and perhaps potentially dangerous or disastrous (a vicious circle, a "spiral of decline"), though it might be beneficial instead (a virtuous circle).
The common analogy is with the rolling of a small ball of snow down a snow-covered hillside. As it rolls the ball will pick up more snow, gaining more mass and surface area, and picking up even more snow and momentum as it rolls along. This is a very common cliché in cartoons and modern theatrics.
See also
- Butterfly Effect
- Domino effect
- Positive feedback
- Self-fulfilling prophecy
- Slippery slope
- Snowball Earth
- Katamari Damacy, a game based on the snowball effect
- Wealth condensation
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