escalate

1 of 2

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 …

—Mike Mansfield

transitive verb

: expand sense 2

escalation

ˌe-skə-ˈlā-shən 

nonstandard -skyə-

noun

escalatory

ˈe-skə-lə-ˌtȯr-ē 

nonstandard -skyə-

adjective

escalation

2 of 2

noun

es·​ca·​la·​tion

plural -s

1

: an increase (as in the price of an article or in a ship's tonnage) that counteracts an unjust discrepancy (as between the price of a product and the cost of material or between the tonnage of one nation's ships and that of another when both are regulated by the same treaty)

specifically : the adjustment of prices proportionally and usually periodically and automatically to an alteration (such as a rise) in the cost of materials or a similar adjustment of wages to an alteration in the cost of living

2

: an increasing in extent, volume, number, amount, or scope

escalatory

ˈeskələˌtōrē 

-ˌtȯr-, 

÷-kyə-

adjective

Synonyms of escalate

Verb

• increase
• rise
• accelerate
• swell
• expand

Examples of escalate in a Sentence

Verb

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

Verb

The slowdown follows a series of escalating Houthi threats and attacks targeting commercial shipping in the Red Sea. — Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 27 July 2026

Council members reviewed the escalating collateral costs associated with high employee turnover, including secondary recruitment, training and professional certification expenses. — Randy Moll, Arkansas Online, 26 July 2026

Tensions escalated on Monday when police moved to disperse thousands of protesters marching toward Parliament. — ABC News, 25 July 2026

Here in Florida, drowning is an unrelenting and escalating epidemic, with the state seeing a record 120 child drownings in 2025, according to the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF). — Karen Cohn, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

back-formation from escalator

Noun

escalator + -ion

First Known Use

Verb

1944, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Phrases Containing escalate

• de-escalate
• re-escalate

Rhymes for escalate

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

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