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
Recent Examples on the Web
Is there no defense that would de-escalate the altercation, no clarification that would exonerate?
—
Wesley Morris Ron Butler Emma Kehlbeck Ted Blaisdell, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2024
For example, the class that watched the tardy slip interaction unfold saw adults model how to successfully manage frustration and de-escalate a situation.
—Gail Cornwall, USA TODAY, 4 Apr. 2024
Gandhi has said deputies are trained to de-escalate dangerous incidents.
—Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 3 Apr. 2024
The deputies first spent about 30 minutes trying to de-escalate the situation, authorities said.
—Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024
But that conflict has de-escalated since the killing of three US servicemembers in Jordan in January.
—Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN, 2 Apr. 2024
But family members are angry and feel deputies didn’t do enough to de-escalate the situation.
—Ben Brasch, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2024
The responding officers immobilize out-of-control suspects, who appear to be going through a mental health crisis or were on drugs, without hurting their targets and de-escalate situations that in the past might have spiraled out of control and ended in deaths.
—Chris Eberhart, Fox News, 12 Mar. 2024
Grijalva joined 23 other Democrats in a Nov. 15 letter addressed to President Joe Biden calling for a cease-fire and saying the U.S. needs a clearer strategy to de-escalate the conflict.
—Coleby Phillips, The Arizona Republic, 7 Mar. 2024
Wesley Morris Ron Butler Emma Kehlbeck Ted Blaisdell, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2024
For example, the class that watched the tardy slip interaction unfold saw adults model how to successfully manage frustration and de-escalate a situation.
—Gail Cornwall, USA TODAY, 4 Apr. 2024
Gandhi has said deputies are trained to de-escalate dangerous incidents.
—Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 3 Apr. 2024
The deputies first spent about 30 minutes trying to de-escalate the situation, authorities said.
—Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024
But that conflict has de-escalated since the killing of three US servicemembers in Jordan in January.
—Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN, 2 Apr. 2024
But family members are angry and feel deputies didn’t do enough to de-escalate the situation.
—Ben Brasch, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2024
The responding officers immobilize out-of-control suspects, who appear to be going through a mental health crisis or were on drugs, without hurting their targets and de-escalate situations that in the past might have spiraled out of control and ended in deaths.
—Chris Eberhart, Fox News, 12 Mar. 2024
Grijalva joined 23 other Democrats in a Nov. 15 letter addressed to President Joe Biden calling for a cease-fire and saying the U.S. needs a clearer strategy to de-escalate the conflict.
—Coleby Phillips, The Arizona Republic, 7 Mar. 2024
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.
Word History
First Known Use
1964, in the meaning defined at transitive sense
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 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
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
noun
(ˌ)dē-ˌes-kə-ˈlā-shən
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