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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of escalate
All staff and guests of the Grand Canyon Lodge were successfully evacuated before the fire escalated.
—
Colson Thayer, People.com, 14 July 2025
Top Trump administration officials have escalated their criticisms of Powell in recent days, in particular by targeting the Federal Reserve’s $2.5 billion renovation project, which Hassett said has gone over budget by $700 million.
—Erin Doherty, CNBC, 13 July 2025
As the back-and-forth escalated, WWE legend Randy Orton made a surprise entrance, stepping in to defend Jelly.
—Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 13 July 2025
Its price-to-sales ratio has escalated to 3x, rising from 1.2x in FY 2022.
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for escalate
Colson Thayer, People.com, 14 July 2025
Top Trump administration officials have escalated their criticisms of Powell in recent days, in particular by targeting the Federal Reserve’s $2.5 billion renovation project, which Hassett said has gone over budget by $700 million.
—Erin Doherty, CNBC, 13 July 2025
As the back-and-forth escalated, WWE legend Randy Orton made a surprise entrance, stepping in to defend Jelly.
—Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 13 July 2025
Its price-to-sales ratio has escalated to 3x, rising from 1.2x in FY 2022.
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for escalate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for escalate
Verb
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In a LinkedIn post, Farley called for speeding up permitting processes, increasing spending on vocational training, leveraging robotics and augmented reality to help with these spaces and suggested an AmeriCorps-type program for these roles.—
Breana Noble,
Boston Herald,
13 July 2025
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The Reserve Bank of India has increased its gold holdings by 35% in the last five years, according to Solomon Global.—
Ramishah Maruf,
CNN Money,
13 July 2025
Verb
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Whether through the Deloitte Global FoF framework or others, leaders can benefit from taking a structured approach to investing in smart operations and to accelerating the convergence of IT and OT.—
John England,
Forbes.com,
8 July 2025
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Flooding that started slow was quickly accelerating.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
8 July 2025
Verb
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Office completions in 2024 fell to their lowest share of inventory since 2012 and are set to slow further, reflecting high vacancy rates, rising debt and construction costs, and falling office values.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
10 July 2025
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Comparing unit prices at the grocery store, shopping the sale racks and collecting spare change are necessities for many Americans, who are coping with stagnant wages, rising prices and mounting bills.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
10 July 2025
Verb
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Mari said the strike has now expanded to include Teamsters in California and Washington state, and that upwards of 4,000 union members are now in the midst of a work stoppage.—
Matthew Medsger,
Boston Herald,
14 July 2025
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Prime-One intends to serve nearby towns as well, with the founders saying the plan is to serve 4,000 homes with the initial build and then expand further.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
14 July 2025
Verb
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After the game, there seemed to be bruising and swelling around it.—
Brendan Kuty,
New York Times,
6 July 2025
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The camp is located on the Guadalupe River, where heavy rain swelled two of the river’s forks, city manager Rice said at a news conference Friday.—
Zoe Sottile,
CNN Money,
5 July 2025
Verb
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Choose solutions that augment human intelligence—leveraging AI, behavioral science and automation to unlock capacity, not just cut costs.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
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This is the first of a new type of rideshare program flying to that orbit that augments SpaceX’s Transporter program that flies to SSO.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 July 2025
Verb
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But as the strikes intensified, targeting infrastructure and killing ordinary citizens, many Iranians began to conclude that the attacks were not merely a war against the regime but a war against the nation itself.—
MOHAMMAD AYATOLLAHI TABAAR,
Foreign Affairs,
8 July 2025
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Kenya’s government withdrew the tax bill in June last year in the wake of the demonstrations, but outrage has intensified over the recent death of a teacher in police custody and the shooting of an unarmed street vendor by police.—
Nimi Princewill,
CNN Money,
8 July 2025
Verb
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FTZs have a long history dating back to a previous period of trade conflict, created during the Great Depression by Congress to encourage international trade and boost exports at time when the Smoot-Hawley tariffs were as high as 53%.—
Lori Ann LaRocco,
CNBC,
12 July 2025
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But sometimes the simplest, easiest and most lucrative option is staying put and figuring out strategies right in front of your eyes that can save you the stress of job hopping and boost your annual salary to boot.—
Bryan Robinson,
Forbes.com,
12 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Escalate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/escalate. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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