escalated 1 of 2

as in increased
being at a higher level than average for a time there was an escalated interest in the historical figure following the release of the blockbuster biography

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

escalated

2 of 2

verb

past tense of escalate
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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of escalated
Verb
The dispute escalated in early March, when the Pentagon designated the company a supply-chain risk. Luke Fountain,emily Wilkins, CNBC, 3 Aug. 2026 Ukraine, meanwhile, has escalated its retaliatory strikes on Russia in recent months, partly to pressure Moscow to the negotiating table after nearly four-and-a-half years of war. CBS News, 1 Aug. 2026 In 2021, that contention escalated sharply after Spain allowed Brahim Ghali, the leader of the Polisario Front to enter the country for medical treatment. Miguel MacIas, NPR, 1 Aug. 2026 Over the past several weeks, Washington has escalated a lethal campaign on Iran, including along the country’s southern coast near the Strait. Jeremy Diamond, CNN Money, 31 July 2026 Currently, the risk has escalated due to the numerous devices employed by enterprises. Chuck Brooks, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026 Italy temporarily restored border controls on travelers arriving from Spain Friday as the mass migrant crossing into Ceuta, Spain, escalated from a Spanish emergency into a wider test of Europe’s passport-free travel system. Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 31 July 2026 The OpenAI models achieved this feat by exploiting a zero-day flaw in Hugging Face’s data-processing pipeline to run malicious code that escalated the models’ access to the company’s high-value cloud and server clusters. Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 27 July 2026 Tensions escalated Monday when police moved to disperse thousands of protesters marching toward Parliament. Arkansas Online, 26 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for escalated
Adjective
  • In Year 2, Bryant is playing at an increased tempo that comes with a greater understanding of the offense.
    Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
  • And while a prospective cohort of 168 first-trimester exposures found no increased risk of major birth defects or pregnancy loss, the sample is too small to be reassuring.
    Jesse Pines, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The fragrance wraps Turkish rose—a honeyed, full-bodied bloom—in earthy notes of patchouli, sandalwood, and frankincense, while blackcurrant and raspberry add a touch of zest.
    Jenny Berg, Vogue, 4 Aug. 2026
  • By Michael Sasso, Bloomberg Prices of existing homes rose in 80% of US metropolitan areas in the second quarter, as home values pick up pace after several months of weakness.
    Bloomberg, Mercury News, 4 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Japan launched a strategy in 1992 to win the World Cup within 100 years, a timeline that would surely be accelerated without Europe, which has stood in their way in three of their five knockout matches.
    Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Consumer spending accelerated over the first quarter, and private investment was positive.
    Bill Stone, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • The combination of elevated inflation and a resilient labor market has raised the chances of an interest rate hike, futures markets show.
    Max Zahn, ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026
  • On Monday, an 18-year-old was seriously injured after falling onto an elevated platform.
    Ubah Ali, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • In the mid-20th century, Anglican congregations in Kenya swelled in size because of the East African Revival movement.
    Stephanie TriplettAll, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Rowan ascended to the CEO role in 2021, and the company’s assets have swelled to over $1 trillion earlier this year.
    Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 5 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Beijing in recent years has rapidly expanded mandates for schools in ethnic minority regions to adopt primarily Chinese-language education, starting from kindergarten.
    CNN Money, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Broadcom expanded a multiyear partnership with Meta Platforms earlier this year to develop successive generations of custom AI accelerator chips, supporting the Instagram and WhatsApp parent's growing AI infrastructure.
    Deena Zaidi, CNBC, 2 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • The report notes the area is known by detectives to be a high crime area with multiple stray dogs and wandering drug users.
    Rafael Escalera Montoto, Arkansas Online, 5 Aug. 2026
  • The 2026 World Cup can be a catalyst to boost it to an even higher orbit.
    Michael Lewis, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • In December 2024, the Pentagon estimated that China’s rocket force had boosted its missile supply by 50% in the preceding four years.
    Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
  • This positive news has boosted share prices, which had been in a slump due to a previous forecast and worries about its first electric vehicle, the Luce.
    Neil Winton, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Escalated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/escalated. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

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