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
Leaders have since reached an agreement to de-escalate tensions, temporarily lowering the duties to 30% on the United States’ side and 10% on China’s part.
—
Nino Paoli, Fortune, 15 Sep. 2025
Police Chief Todd Chamberlain previously said that the officer, whose name hasn’t been released, punched Belt-Stubblefield to try to de-escalate the situation, but the man raised his fist and kept walking toward the officer.
—Judith Kohler, Denver Post, 12 Sep. 2025
With the help of AI, those workers can pivot seamlessly into upselling, cross-selling, or de-escalating sensitive situations.
—Gary Drenik, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
However, a woman also dressed in Phillies gear, whose identity has not been verified by Newsweek, ran up to the father and son and demanded the baseball, which Drew reluctantly told Lincoln to give up to de-escalate the situation.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for de-escalate
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Nino Paoli, Fortune, 15 Sep. 2025
Police Chief Todd Chamberlain previously said that the officer, whose name hasn’t been released, punched Belt-Stubblefield to try to de-escalate the situation, but the man raised his fist and kept walking toward the officer.
—Judith Kohler, Denver Post, 12 Sep. 2025
With the help of AI, those workers can pivot seamlessly into upselling, cross-selling, or de-escalating sensitive situations.
—Gary Drenik, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
However, a woman also dressed in Phillies gear, whose identity has not been verified by Newsweek, ran up to the father and son and demanded the baseball, which Drew reluctantly told Lincoln to give up to de-escalate the situation.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 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 15 Sep. 2025.
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