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 Mansfield
es·ca·la·tion
plural -s
1
: an increase (as in the price of an article or in a ship's tonnage) that counteracts an unjust discrepancy (as between the price of a product and the cost of material or between the tonnage of one nation's ships and that of another when both are regulated by the same treaty)
specifically
: the adjustment of prices proportionally and usually periodically and automatically to an alteration (such as a rise) in the cost of materials or a similar adjustment of wages to an alteration in the cost of living
2
: an increasing in extent, volume, number, amount, or scope
Examples of escalate in a Sentence
Verb
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
Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 13 June 2026
The verbal fight escalated, and then one male produced a firearm and shot the other, police said.
—Seamus Bozeman
follow, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2026
With this pattern, if conflict escalates further, Iran could even target nuclear power stations.
—Ariel Cohen, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
Cornyn then doubled down, rejecting the premise that procedural effort can substitute for votes and escalating his criticism of Republican messaging.
—Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for escalate
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Verb
In recent weeks, Iran has dramatically escalated efforts to seal off its cache of near bomb-grade uranium, deliberately collapsing tunnels and booby-trapping entrances with explosive mines, according to five sources familiar with US intelligence.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 13 June 2026
The verbal fight escalated, and then one male produced a firearm and shot the other, police said.
—Seamus Bozeman
follow, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2026
With this pattern, if conflict escalates further, Iran could even target nuclear power stations.
—Ariel Cohen, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
Cornyn then doubled down, rejecting the premise that procedural effort can substitute for votes and escalating his criticism of Republican messaging.
—Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 12 June 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 15 Jun. 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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