escalate

verb

es·​ca·​late ˈe-skə-ˌlāt 

nonstandard

-skyə- 

escalated; escalating

intransitive verb

: to increase in extent, volume, number, amount, intensity, or scope

a little war threatens to escalate into a huge ugly one

—Arnold Abrams

transitive verb

: expand sense 2

escalation

ˌe-skə-ˈlā-shən 

 nonstandard  -skyə-

noun

escalatory

ˈe-skə-lə-ˌtȯr-ē 

 nonstandard  -skyə-

adjective

Synonyms

• increase
• rise
• accelerate
• swell
• expand
• intensify

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

Tensions escalated when Williams realized that Florida law enforcement agencies had continued to make arrests under the law despite her ruling. —Miami Herald, 19 Aug. 2025

The issue quickly escalated into mass bloodletting, with tens of thousands of ethnic Armenians and Azerbaijanis expelled from their homes. —Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 19 Aug. 2025

The investigation comes amid an escalating — and political — showdown between the Trump administration and the city over control of the police department. —Alanna Durkin Richer, Chicago Tribune, 19 Aug. 2025

But the unusual circumstances of his capture have escalated tensions. —Rocío Muñoz-Ledo, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

back-formation from escalator

First Known Use

1944, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Phrases Containing escalate

• de-escalate
• re-escalate

Rhymes for escalate

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• adsorbate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate

Kids Definition

escalate

verb

es·​ca·​late ˈes-kə-ˌlāt 

escalated; escalating

: to increase in extent, volume, or scope : expand

escalate prices

escalation

ˌes-kə-ˈlā-shən 

noun