escalate
verb
es·ca·late
ˈe-skə-ˌlāt 
nonstandard
-skyə-
escalated; escalating
: to increase in extent, volume, number, amount, intensity, or scope
a little war threatens to escalate into a huge ugly one—
Arnold Abrams
Arnold AbramsExamples 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
But the criticisms of Boasberg by the president and his allies escalated the administration's ongoing tension with the courts.
—Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 28 Mar. 2025
What started off as sweet notes and small gifts, including chocolates, things quickly escalated to the woman requesting more meetings with the actress.
—Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025
What seemed to be an ordinary morning within the poster’s household escalates quickly into a family dispute.
—Ashley Vega, People.com, 28 Mar. 2025
Civilian losses escalated to 5,183 dead in the first six months of 2021, as the US began to pull out from Afghanistan and depend further on the Afghan military.
—Sophia Saifi, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for escalate
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Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 28 Mar. 2025
What started off as sweet notes and small gifts, including chocolates, things quickly escalated to the woman requesting more meetings with the actress.
—Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025
What seemed to be an ordinary morning within the poster’s household escalates quickly into a family dispute.
—Ashley Vega, People.com, 28 Mar. 2025
Civilian losses escalated to 5,183 dead in the first six months of 2021, as the US began to pull out from Afghanistan and depend further on the Afghan military.
—Sophia Saifi, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for escalate
Cite this Entry
“Escalate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/escalate. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
escalate
verb
es·ca·late
ˈes-kə-ˌlāt
escalated; escalating
: to increase in extent, volume, or scope : expand
escalate prices
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