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

The character's love for hijinks and adventure kept longtime viewers on their toes to see how Luke would wriggle out of each escalating predicament next. —Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 15 Dec. 2025

From there, scale by building systems where agents collaborate, escalate, and learn. —Charles Lamanna, Fortune, 15 Dec. 2025

Taylor, who lives a 10-minute walk from Bondi Beach, said the attack was not an isolated act of violence, but the culmination of years of escalating antisemitism that authorities failed to confront. —Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 15 Dec. 2025

Rasheed Griffin's behavior has escalated since this fall, from a September indecent exposure incident to a November assault on a CTA bus driver. —Marissa Perlman, CBS News, 15 Dec. 2025

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
• adsorbate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate

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