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
The situation escalated further when the woman's stepmother brought up her father's past generosity, suggesting that the bride should repay his kindness by allowing the dance.
—Ashley Vega, People.com, 14 Mar. 2025
Economies on all sides of the transactions can end up being hurt financially, but the risks may be highest for the nation escalating import taxes the most.
—Caitlin Babcock, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Mar. 2025
The latest: Trump's trade war escalated Thursday with a threat to impose massive levies on European wine and Champagne.
—Erin Doherty, Axios, 14 Mar. 2025
The scrutiny has even escalated to multiple dealerships being targeted by anti-Musk vandals, according to local news outlets, including WPLG.
—Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for escalate
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Ashley Vega, People.com, 14 Mar. 2025
Economies on all sides of the transactions can end up being hurt financially, but the risks may be highest for the nation escalating import taxes the most.
—Caitlin Babcock, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Mar. 2025
The latest: Trump's trade war escalated Thursday with a threat to impose massive levies on European wine and Champagne.
—Erin Doherty, Axios, 14 Mar. 2025
The scrutiny has even escalated to multiple dealerships being targeted by anti-Musk vandals, according to local news outlets, including WPLG.
—Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY, 14 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 21 Mar. 2025.
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escalate
verb
es·ca·late
ˈes-kə-ˌlāt
escalated; escalating
: to increase in extent, volume, or scope : expand
escalate prices
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