1
as in reduced
to make smaller in amount, volume, or extent
first, the mediator tried to de-escalate the tension in the room
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in decreased
to grow less in scope or intensity especially gradually
the fighting de-escalated as the peace talks progressed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of de-escalated
Several police departments in the region responded to help and de-escalated the situation.
—
Christa Swanson, CBS News, 17 May 2026
The conflict was de-escalated by a 2019 peace deal between the government and 14 armed groups.
—ABC News, 30 Mar. 2026
Though surprised, the officer seated at the wheel de-escalated the situation and helped the young man find his family, the father wrote to Movius.
—Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026
Trump’s tactic risks reopening fraught geopolitical wounds with Beijing, following its bruising trade war with Washington that de-escalated late last year.
—Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 13 Jan. 2026
Officers de-escalated the scene, and there were no arrests made, police told the outlet.
—Daniel S. Levine, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
Officers de-escalated the situation and arrested 22-year-old Antonio Mellon.
—Allison Gordon, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2025
Officers de-escalated the situation and got him safely to the ground, Caylor said.
—Jim Woods, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2025
Christa Swanson, CBS News, 17 May 2026
The conflict was de-escalated by a 2019 peace deal between the government and 14 armed groups.
—ABC News, 30 Mar. 2026
Though surprised, the officer seated at the wheel de-escalated the situation and helped the young man find his family, the father wrote to Movius.
—Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026
Trump’s tactic risks reopening fraught geopolitical wounds with Beijing, following its bruising trade war with Washington that de-escalated late last year.
—Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 13 Jan. 2026
Officers de-escalated the scene, and there were no arrests made, police told the outlet.
—Daniel S. Levine, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
Officers de-escalated the situation and arrested 22-year-old Antonio Mellon.
—Allison Gordon, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2025
Officers de-escalated the situation and got him safely to the ground, Caylor said.
—Jim Woods, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for de-escalated
Verb
-
In March, Tyler pleaded guilty as part of a plea deal that reduced his first-degree rape charge to a third-degree offense.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
17 June 2026
-
The only exception came during the COVID years, when the schedule was temporarily reduced.—
Amber Harding OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
Crime in the 21207 zip code area has decreased within the last year, according to data from the Baltimore County Public Safety Data Dashboard.—
CBS Baltimore Staff,
CBS News,
14 June 2026
-
Parents should quickly seek medical care for an infant who has difficulty swallowing, poor feeding, loss of head control or decreased facial expression, the CDC said.—
Melody Petersen,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
Yet while the pace of inflation subsided, bringing Social Security cost-of-living adjustments down in subsequent years, consumer prices have mostly stayed higher.—
Lorie Konish,
CNBC,
12 June 2026
-
Indeed, the uproar has subsided considerably.—
Wesley Morris,
New York Times,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
But Kesselring’s role was further diminished when Buffalo acquired defensemen Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn from the Winnipeg Jets at the trade deadline in March.—
Curtis Pashelka,
Mercury News,
17 June 2026
-
Since then, our evenings have been brighter and our melatonin diminished.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
Aalto University / Mahdi Asgari History is filled with stories of the great being felled by the puny.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
19 June 2026
-
And those are the lucky ones, who weren’t felled by late-season injuries and bumped from the tournament the way Brazil’s Rodrygo, Japan’s Kaoru Mitoma and Germany’s Serge Gnabry were.—
Luke Cyphers,
Sportico.com,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
Gas prices have fallen toward $4 per gallon in recent weeks, nearing the milestone as oil costs have eased in response to negotiations between the United States and Iran.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
13 June 2026
-
Harpists serenaded tables at La Galerie throughout the day, and as tea time eased into evening cocktails, the space filled up.—
Lane Nieset,
Travel + Leisure,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“De-escalated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/de-escalated. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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