escalate

verb

es·ca·late ˈe-skə-ˌlāt

nonstandard

-skyə-

escalated; escalating

Synonyms of escalate next

intransitive verb

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

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

Arnold Abrams

transitive verb

: expand sense 2

escalation

ˌe-skə-ˈlā-shən

nonstandard -skyə-

noun

escalatory

ˈe-skə-lə-ˌtȯr-ē

nonstandard -skyə-

adjective

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Orange has faced an escalating structural budget deficit for more than a decade, city officials have said. —

Jonathan Horwitz, Orange County Register, 6 Nov. 2024 This shift in mindset can allow business leaders to handle stress more effectively, preventing it from escalating into burnout. —

Raquel Gomes, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024 While some criticized him for escalating the situation, many fans rallied behind Jason for standing up for Travis, 35, and Swift, 34. —

Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024 The average age of homebuyers in the U.S. has risen by six years since July 2023 — another sign that younger Americans are being priced out of the market due to escalating ownership costs. —

Mike Winters, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for escalate