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
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
Officers de-escalated the scene, and there were no arrests made, police told the outlet.
—
Daniel S. Levine, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
Tensions had simmered over the summer when the two countries agreed to de-escalate.
—Deepa Shivaram, NPR, 25 Oct. 2025
There were 39 times when deholstering a stun gun was able to de-escalate a situation without the device’s deployment.
—Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 22 Oct. 2025
At the same time, researchers are studying ways to de-escalate treatment for older women with early-stage cancers, aiming to deliver effective care with fewer long-term side effects.
—Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for de-escalate
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.
Daniel S. Levine, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
Tensions had simmered over the summer when the two countries agreed to de-escalate.
—Deepa Shivaram, NPR, 25 Oct. 2025
There were 39 times when deholstering a stun gun was able to de-escalate a situation without the device’s deployment.
—Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 22 Oct. 2025
At the same time, researchers are studying ways to de-escalate treatment for older women with early-stage cancers, aiming to deliver effective care with fewer long-term side effects.
—Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for de-escalate
Cite this Entry
“De-escalate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/de-escalate. Accessed 27 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share