de-escalate
verb
de-es·ca·late
(ˌ)dē-ˈe-skə-ˌlāt 
nonstandard -ˈe-skyə-
de-escalated; de-escalating; de-escalates
: limit sense 2b
de-escalate production
tried to de-escalate the tension
: to decrease in extent, volume, or scope
violence began to de-escalate
Synonyms
Examples of de-escalate in a Sentence
first, the mediator tried to de-escalate the tension in the room
the fighting de-escalated as the peace talks progressed
Recent Examples on the Web
In a separate statement, Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey said de-escalating the situation on the bridge so no one was hurt was a top priority for responding deputies.
—
Antonia Hylton, NBC News, 12 Feb. 2025
The police attempted to de-escalate the scene by first ordering him to drop his lethal weapon, then employing a taser and the threat of a police dog.
—U T Opinion, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Feb. 2025
The news release says officers spent the half-hour attempting to de-escalate the situation before killing the person.
—Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 6 Feb. 2025
Accordingly, near-term U.S. policy needs to be geared toward ratcheting up the economic pain now being felt by the Kremlin, as a way of forcing Putin and his cohort to meaningfully de-escalate and make substantive concessions to Kyiv.
—Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Newsweek, 4 Feb. 2025
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Antonia Hylton, NBC News, 12 Feb. 2025
The police attempted to de-escalate the scene by first ordering him to drop his lethal weapon, then employing a taser and the threat of a police dog.
—U T Opinion, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Feb. 2025
The news release says officers spent the half-hour attempting to de-escalate the situation before killing the person.
—Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 6 Feb. 2025
Accordingly, near-term U.S. policy needs to be geared toward ratcheting up the economic pain now being felt by the Kremlin, as a way of forcing Putin and his cohort to meaningfully de-escalate and make substantive concessions to Kyiv.
—Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Newsweek, 4 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for de-escalate
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Dictionary Entries Near de-escalate
Cite this Entry
“De-escalate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/de-escalate. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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