escalate

verb

es·​ca·​late ˈe-skə-ˌlāt 

nonstandard

-skyə- 

escalated; escalating

intransitive verb

: to increase in extent, volume, number, amount, intensity, or scope

… a little war threatens to escalate into a huge ugly one …

—Mike Mansfield

transitive verb

: expand sense 2

escalation

ˌe-skə-ˈlā-shən 

nonstandard -skyə-

noun

escalatory

ˈe-skə-lə-ˌtȯr-ē 

nonstandard -skyə-

adjective

Synonyms of escalate

• increase
• rise
• accelerate
• swell
• expand

Examples of escalate in a Sentence

The conflict has escalated into an all-out war.

a time of escalating tensions

We are trying not to escalate the violence.

Salaries of leading executives have continued to escalate.

The cold weather has escalated fuel prices.

Recent Examples on the Web

Analysts point out that as market concerns over financing risks for AI related firms escalate, investors are reassessing the impact of elevated interest rates on economic growth and corporate debt servicing capacity. — CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026

Some demonstrations have escalated into violence, prompting French authorities to deploy tear gas, stun grenades and other crowd-control measures, CBS News reported. — Chantz Martin Outkick, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026

The movie would follow a Mexican American store owner trying to keep the peace amid protests and escalating violence. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 15 Oct. 2026

Saudi Arabia launched strikes on an oil depot on the outskirts of Yemen’s capital Sanaa on Tuesday, as the tit-for-tat attacks escalated. — Olivia-Anne Cleary, Time, 15 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

back-formation from escalator

First Known Use

1944, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Phrases Containing escalate

• de-escalate
• re-escalate

Rhymes for escalate

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate
• angulate

Kids Definition

escalate

verb

es·​ca·​late ˈes-kə-ˌlāt 

escalated; escalating

: to increase in extent, volume, or scope : expand

escalate prices

escalation

ˌes-kə-ˈlā-shən 

noun