escalate
verb
es·ca·late
ˈe-skə-ˌlāt 
nonstandard
-skyə-
escalated; escalating
: to increase in extent, volume, number, amount, intensity, or scope
… a little war threatens to escalate into a huge ugly one …—
Mike Mansfield
Mike MansfieldExamples 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 on the Web
For some Texans, that stress escalates after a vehicle is repossessed — followed by intimidating notices warning that wages could be garnished to collect the remaining balance.
—Marley Malenfant, Austin American Statesman, 21 Jan. 2026
The spat between one of the world’s richest individuals and one of Europe’s most outspoken corporate bosses has been escalating for days.
—Kelvin Chan, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2026
However, if the situation resembles more closely to 2022 (an environment where high debt and escalating costs are more consequential), then the downside could deepen, and the recovery could be drawn out.
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
That's just the way that the escalating serialized drama has to be built.
—Sydney Bucksbaum, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for escalate
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Marley Malenfant, Austin American Statesman, 21 Jan. 2026
The spat between one of the world’s richest individuals and one of Europe’s most outspoken corporate bosses has been escalating for days.
—Kelvin Chan, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2026
However, if the situation resembles more closely to 2022 (an environment where high debt and escalating costs are more consequential), then the downside could deepen, and the recovery could be drawn out.
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
That's just the way that the escalating serialized drama has to be built.
—Sydney Bucksbaum, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for escalate
Cite this Entry
“Escalate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/escalate. Accessed 27 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
escalate
verb
es·ca·late
ˈes-kə-ˌlāt
escalated; escalating
: to increase in extent, volume, or scope : expand
escalate prices
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