1
as in to increase
to become greater in extent, volume, amount, or number
as the war between the two countries escalated, it threatened to become a global conflict
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to accelerate
to make greater in size, amount, or number
the president promised to escalate the government's program to combat the dreaded disease
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Recent Examples of escalate
During the event, the President of the Government made a new announcement on housing, and highlighted access to housing as a key issue within the legislature, in the midst of escalating property prices, especially in large cities.
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Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 14 Jan. 2025
However, her decision only escalated the tension between the two women.
—Ashley Vega, People.com, 13 Jan. 2025
Our failure to pivot away from the consumer welfare standard has cost untold wealth over the past century, and the damage will only escalate without a pivot.
—Clyde Wayne Crews Jr., Forbes, 12 Jan. 2025
Their defensive responses often trigger chain reactions of escalating blame, drawing others into their conflict narrative.
—Nik Ershov, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for escalate 
Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 14 Jan. 2025
However, her decision only escalated the tension between the two women.
—Ashley Vega, People.com, 13 Jan. 2025
Our failure to pivot away from the consumer welfare standard has cost untold wealth over the past century, and the damage will only escalate without a pivot.
—Clyde Wayne Crews Jr., Forbes, 12 Jan. 2025
Their defensive responses often trigger chain reactions of escalating blame, drawing others into their conflict narrative.
—Nik Ershov, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for escalate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for escalate
Verb
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Investment in women's health is increasing, from VC to private equity.Geri Stengel, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025
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The World Health Organization (WHO) wrote in its 2024 global tuberculosis report cases of the disease had increased internationally, with 8.2 million people worldwide being diagnosed in 2023.Kristina Watrobski, Baltimore Sun, 14 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Red Flag Warning Will Remain Until Friday Evening As Blazes Burn More Than 2,000 Structures Google’s Gmail Upgrade—Do Not Lose Your Account The emergence of cloud-native architectures further accelerated this transformation.Srikanta Datta, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025
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Almost all traditional pundits got the outcome wrong, and the subsequent audience exodus from legacy media to podcasts, YouTube, and other alternative sources has accelerated.Alex Ritman, Variety, 8 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Temperatures will rise throughout the day, with a high of 50 degrees forecast for the Metroplex.Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Jan. 2025
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Research has shown that these rapid wet-to-dry and dry-to-wet swings, which can worsen wildfires, flooding and other hazards, are growing more frequent and intense because of rising global temperatures.Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Preserving, nature, history, and culture for future generations All told, Biden created 10 new national monuments and expanded 2 others during his term, tying him for eighth place, with William Taft, for the most monuments designated by a president.Bailey Berg, AFAR Media, 15 Jan. 2025
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While teams build local fan bases, league executives are also keen to grow individual player brands, recognizing the way other women’s sports stars—such as Caitlin Clark, Ilona Maher, Alex Morgan and Serena Williams—have expanded the fan bases for their sports.Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 15 Jan. 2025
Verb
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So have worries about other possible Trump policies, such as tax cuts, which could swell the government’s debt and likewise push yields higher.Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 7 Jan. 2025
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In recent days, speculation had swelled that Trump might seek to force Barr from office.Jeff Cox, CNBC, 6 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Elon Musk has long sought to augment his Silicon Valley celebrity with gamer cred, professing both skill and passion for a medium favored by tech geeks.Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 13 Jan. 2025
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Lidar is also being augmented by more sensors and AI to help robot vacuums better understand your home.Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, The Verge, 12 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Banks are on a winning streak, one that’s poised to intensify as President-elect Donald J. Trump takes office.Jeanna Smialek, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2025
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The Big Ten-SEC rivalry is about to intensify as the external factors dictating both conferences’ strategies change, and the Big Ten perhaps is in a better position to succeed than at any time in the last 50 years.Scott Dochterman, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The investment will enhance product development and boost its client service capabilities, enabling rapid design and development for the fashion industry.Arthur Zaczkiewicz, WWD, 13 Jan. 2025
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The festival is expected to boost the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party’s past record of promoting Hindu cultural symbols for its support base.Fox News, Fox News, 13 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near escalate
Cite this Entry
“Escalate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/escalate. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
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