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Definition of escalate
escalated
;escalating
intransitive verb
: to increase in extent, volume, number, amount, intensity, or scope a little war threatens to escalate into a huge ugly one — Arnold Abrams
transitive verb
: expand 2
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Examples of escalate in a Sentence
The conflict has escalated into an all-out war.
a time of escalating tensions
We are trying not to escalate the violence.
Salaries of leading executives have continued to escalate.
The cold weather has escalated fuel prices.
Recent Examples of escalate from the Web
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Authorities said a man in his mid-30s died and another male was injured Monday after an argument escalated into a shooting near a gas station on First Avenue North in Birmingham.
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Catcher Drew Butera stepped in front of Tumpane, trying to de-escalate the situation.
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While the escalating series of your brain reacting to different skincare products seems pretty comprehensive (and accurate) to us, some on social media were quick to chime in with their own thoughts.
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What began as a home burglary quickly escalated to a five-hour standoff with Aurora police, who on Sunday detailed the tense negotiations with two men who were holed up inside a veritable weapons cache.
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Max Faulkner mfaulkner@star-telegram.com The situation soon escalated and when Craig’s teenage daughter Brea Hymond stepped between Martin and Craig, Martin arrested both of them.
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Such dynamics are not only likely to escalate tensions between Iran and the United States, but could also fuel the vicious cycle of violence for which Tehran is ill-prepared.
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The Chavista regime might too, despite the escalating protests against it.
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The escalating tensions have immediate consequences for Qatar, which, as The New York Times notes, imports 40 percent of its food from neighboring Saudi Arabia.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'escalate'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of escalate
back-formation from escalator
ESCALATE Defined for English Language Learners
escalate
playDefinition of escalate for English Language Learners
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: to become worse or to make (something) worse or more severe
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: to become greater or higher or to make (something) greater or higher
Learn More about escalate
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See words that rhyme with escalate Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for escalate Spanish Central: Translation of escalate Nglish: Translation of escalate for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of escalate for Arabic speakers
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