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
Russia’s drone bombardment of Ukraine has escalated remorselessly, with successive nightly attacks breaking records for the number of Shaheds fired.
—David Hambling, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
Back in the dining room, the family argument escalates.
—Matt Cabral, EW.com, 26 May 2025
Since Trump took office, the U.S. military has escalated airstrikes in Somalia, targeting Islamic State and Al Qaeda-linked Shabab operatives.
—Sam Metz, Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2025
The administration has escalated its back-and-forth with the Ivy League institution, with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ordering Thursday that the school be taken off the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification, which is necessary for enrolling international students.
—Filip Timotija, The Hill, 26 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for escalate
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David Hambling, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
Back in the dining room, the family argument escalates.
—Matt Cabral, EW.com, 26 May 2025
Since Trump took office, the U.S. military has escalated airstrikes in Somalia, targeting Islamic State and Al Qaeda-linked Shabab operatives.
—Sam Metz, Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2025
The administration has escalated its back-and-forth with the Ivy League institution, with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ordering Thursday that the school be taken off the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification, which is necessary for enrolling international students.
—Filip Timotija, The Hill, 26 May 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 3 Jun. 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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