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
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
For several hours, officers attempted to de-escalate the situation and persuade the man to put his weapon down, police said.
—
Nicole Lopez, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 July 2024
Ahead of his March 31, 1968, address about de-escalating the conflict, Johnson had written two versions of his speech — one that included his exit announcement and another that didn’t.
—Praveena Somasundaram, Washington Post, 12 July 2024
Police are to start with presence and communication to try to de-escalate crowd situations, but can use pepper spray and other tools if the situation escalates.
—Ashley Luthern, Journal Sentinel, 9 July 2024
As negotiations between Israel and Hamas continue, talks were also underway to try to de-escalate tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, a senior administration official told NBC News.
—Andrea Mitchell, NBC News, 4 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for de-escalate 
Nicole Lopez, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 July 2024
Ahead of his March 31, 1968, address about de-escalating the conflict, Johnson had written two versions of his speech — one that included his exit announcement and another that didn’t.
—Praveena Somasundaram, Washington Post, 12 July 2024
Police are to start with presence and communication to try to de-escalate crowd situations, but can use pepper spray and other tools if the situation escalates.
—Ashley Luthern, Journal Sentinel, 9 July 2024
As negotiations between Israel and Hamas continue, talks were also underway to try to de-escalate tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, a senior administration official told NBC News.
—Andrea Mitchell, NBC News, 4 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for de-escalate
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.
Articles Related to de-escalate
Dictionary Entries Near de-escalate
Cite this Entry
“De-escalate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/de-escalate. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share