de-escalate

verb

de-es·​ca·​late (ˌ)dē-ˈe-skə-ˌlāt 

nonstandard -ˈe-skyə-

de-escalated; de-escalating; de-escalates

transitive verb

: limit sense 2b

de-escalate production

tried to de-escalate the tension

intransitive verb

: to decrease in extent, volume, or scope

violence began to de-escalate

de-escalation

(ˌ)dē-ˌe-skə-ˈlā-shən 

nonstandard -ˌe-skyə-

noun

de-escalatory

(ˌ)dē-ˈe-skə-lə-ˌtȯr-ē 

nonstandard -ˈe-skyə-

adjective

Synonyms of de-escalate

• reduce
• decrease

Examples of de-escalate in a Sentence

first, the mediator tried to de-escalate the tension in the room

the fighting de-escalated as the peace talks progressed

Recent Examples on the Web

The preliminary hearing in the SEC’s lawsuit against LSU was postponed Wednesday afternoon, amid signs that the two sides were de-escalating their fight over the eligibility of two players who signed NFL contracts. — Seth Emerson, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026

While critical of Schaaf, O'Brien praised the efforts of other Waterloo officers who interacted with Boggess, in particular two who attempted to de-escalate the encounter before the shooting. — William Morris, Des Moines Register, 9 Sep. 2026

Pesta called the shooting tragic and shared how officers are trained to de-escalate before coming to this outcome. — Briauna Brown, CBS News, 7 Sep. 2026

According to Tisch, officers spent about four minutes attempting to de-escalate the situation and repeatedly ordering the woman to drop the knives. — Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1964, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for de-escalate

• abbreviate
• accelerate
• accommodate
• accumulate
• acuminate
• adjudicate
• adulterate
• affiliate
• agglomerate
• agglutinate
• alleviate
• amalgamate

Kids Definition

de-escalate

verb

de-es·​ca·​late

(ˈ)dē-ˈes-kə-ˌlāt

: to decrease in extent, volume, or scope

de-escalate the war

de-escalation

(ˌ)dē-ˌes-kə-ˈlā-shən

noun