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 The suit, which is expected to be filed in federal court, according to people familiar with the matter, escalates the Biden administration’s antitrust fights against most of the biggest US technology giants. Anna Edgerton, Fortune, 21 Mar. 2024 What starts as a detective mystery, pursued by the rumpled intelligence investigator Clarence Da Shi (Benedict Wong), escalates to a looming war of the worlds. James Poniewozik, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024 But the joke escalates into a nightmare when Téo, fixated on making Clarice love him, abducts her for a frantic road trip across Rio de Janeiro. Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 20 Mar. 2024 But for some people, these negative self-assessments can escalate into body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). Jenna Ryu, SELF, 20 Mar. 2024 At the same time, violent conflicts have escalated. TIME, 18 Mar. 2024 Earlier this week, rumors escalated after Kensington Palace released an edited photo of the royal with her three children on Mother's Day in the U.K., prompting an apology from Kate. Charlotte Phillipp, Peoplemag, 17 Mar. 2024 That mission was among diplomatic efforts by the United States to find ways to work with military governments in the region, where violence wrought by Islamist extremists has, in recent years, rapidly escalated. Rachel Pannett, Washington Post, 17 Mar. 2024 Shortly after October 7, the United States moved two aircraft carriers to the eastern Mediterranean and warned Tehran against escalating tensions with Israel. Daniel Byman, Foreign Affairs, 12 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'escalate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Dictionary Entries Near escalate

Cite this Entry

“Escalate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/escalate. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

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

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