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
Zahra Ullah,
CNN Money,
26 June 2026
Symptoms can escalate quickly and may include agitation, blurred vision, seizures and in severe cases, death.
—
Ubah Ali,
CBS News,
26 June 2026
As Ukraine's medium- and long-range aerial attacks against Russia have escalated in recent months, Zelenskyy has sought to portray those assaults as a necessity.
—
Jamie Dorrington,
ABC News,
26 June 2026
According to the petition, the fight escalated, and Will Robinson phoned the police while Sandoval hid inside a spare bedroom.
—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
26 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for escalate
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Verb
In recent weeks, Ukraine has escalated its military efforts there, reflecting Kyiv’s broader push to increase pressure on the Kremlin.
—
Zahra Ullah,
CNN Money,
26 June 2026
Symptoms can escalate quickly and may include agitation, blurred vision, seizures and in severe cases, death.
—
Ubah Ali,
CBS News,
26 June 2026
As Ukraine's medium- and long-range aerial attacks against Russia have escalated in recent months, Zelenskyy has sought to portray those assaults as a necessity.
—
Jamie Dorrington,
ABC News,
26 June 2026
According to the petition, the fight escalated, and Will Robinson phoned the police while Sandoval hid inside a spare bedroom.
—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
26 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 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
escalate
verb
es·ca·late
ˈes-kə-ˌlāt
escalated; escalating
: to increase in extent, volume, or scope : expand
escalate prices
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
