de-escalate
verb
de-es·ca·late
(ˌ)dē-ˈe-skə-ˌlāt 
nonstandard -ˈe-skyə-
de-escalated; de-escalating; de-escalates
: limit sense 2b
de-escalate production
tried to de-escalate the tension
: to decrease in extent, volume, or scope
violence began to de-escalate
Synonyms
Examples of de-escalate in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But little else is known about the extent of the strikes and any potential damage, as both Israel and Iran appeared to downplay the attack on Friday morning — which analysts suggest points to an effort to de-escalate regional tensions.
—
Rachel Treisman, NPR, 19 Apr. 2024
Pressure to de-escalate Netanyahu has been facing international pressure to de-escalate a fraught situation after Iran’s weekend attack.
—Jeremy Diamond, CNN, 15 Apr. 2024
Wood told the council that the U.S. aims to de-escalate the situation but that Iran's actions cannot go unanswered.
—NBC News, 15 Apr. 2024
Israel’s war cabinet on Monday met to weigh possible responses to Iran’s missile and drone attack over the weekend, as the United States, Britain and other allies strongly urged Israel to show restraint and sought to de-escalate tensions between the two regional powers.
—Michael Levenson, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2024
With the attacks largely thwarted and mostly unsuccessful, and with Iran signaling that their attack will be the end of their response, the risk to crude oil has diminished, and the situation is thankfully likely to de-escalate going forward.
—Miami Herald Archives Update, Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2024
In the corrective action plan attached to this week’s settlement motion, the county admitted that neither deputy tried to call the department’s Mental Evaluation Team, which is designed to help de-escalate interactions with mentally ill people and avoid uses of force.
—Keri Blakinger, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024
Is there no defense that would de-escalate the altercation, no clarification that would exonerate?
—Wesley Morris Ron Butler Emma Kehlbeck Ted Blaisdell, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2024
For example, the class that watched the tardy slip interaction unfold saw adults model how to successfully manage frustration and de-escalate a situation.
—Gail Cornwall, USA TODAY, 4 Apr. 2024
Rachel Treisman, NPR, 19 Apr. 2024
Pressure to de-escalate Netanyahu has been facing international pressure to de-escalate a fraught situation after Iran’s weekend attack.
—Jeremy Diamond, CNN, 15 Apr. 2024
Wood told the council that the U.S. aims to de-escalate the situation but that Iran's actions cannot go unanswered.
—NBC News, 15 Apr. 2024
Israel’s war cabinet on Monday met to weigh possible responses to Iran’s missile and drone attack over the weekend, as the United States, Britain and other allies strongly urged Israel to show restraint and sought to de-escalate tensions between the two regional powers.
—Michael Levenson, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2024
With the attacks largely thwarted and mostly unsuccessful, and with Iran signaling that their attack will be the end of their response, the risk to crude oil has diminished, and the situation is thankfully likely to de-escalate going forward.
—Miami Herald Archives Update, Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2024
In the corrective action plan attached to this week’s settlement motion, the county admitted that neither deputy tried to call the department’s Mental Evaluation Team, which is designed to help de-escalate interactions with mentally ill people and avoid uses of force.
—Keri Blakinger, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024
Is there no defense that would de-escalate the altercation, no clarification that would exonerate?
—Wesley Morris Ron Butler Emma Kehlbeck Ted Blaisdell, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2024
For example, the class that watched the tardy slip interaction unfold saw adults model how to successfully manage frustration and de-escalate a situation.
—Gail Cornwall, USA TODAY, 4 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'de-escalate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“De-escalate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/de-escalate. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
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