escalate

verb

es·​ca·​late ˈe-skə-ˌlāt How to pronounce escalate (audio)
nonstandard
-skyə- How to pronounce escalate (audio)
escalated; escalating

intransitive verb

: to increase in extent, volume, number, amount, intensity, or scope
a little war threatens to escalate into a huge ugly oneArnold Abrams
escalation
ˌe-skə-ˈlā-shən How to pronounce escalate (audio)
 nonstandard  -skyə-
noun
escalatory
ˈe-skə-lə-ˌtȯr-ē How to pronounce escalate (audio)
 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.
The ruling represents the latest legal setback for Newsom, who warned that the June 8 deployment would inflame tensions and escalate unrest. Daniel Hunt, Sacbee.com, 20 June 2025 The pan-European Stoxx 600 index was last seen trading 0.6% higher, with most sectors except oil and gas — an industry already being impacted by the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran — in positive territory. Ganesh Rao,chloe Taylor,jenni Reid, CNBC, 20 June 2025 As the conflict escalated this week, the U.S. deployed additional fighter jets and refueling tankers to the Middle East. David Brennan, ABC News, 19 June 2025 But this was different, the situation escalating by the hour, then by the minute. Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 19 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for escalate

Word History

Etymology

back-formation from escalator

First Known Use

1944, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of escalate was in 1944

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Escalate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/escalate. Accessed 25 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

escalate

verb
es·​ca·​late ˈes-kə-ˌlāt How to pronounce escalate (audio)
escalated; escalating
: to increase in extent, volume, or scope : expand
escalate prices
escalation noun

More from Merriam-Webster on escalate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!