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
Wainwright alleges that the company started putting profits over people, which is when problems began to escalate.
—Terell Bailey, CBS News, 9 Apr. 2026
At a legislative hearing called to address escalating concerns about wild predators, including coyotes, Wade Crowfoot, the state’s top environmental officer, called the situation a crisis.
—Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 8 Apr. 2026
Disputes over land and grazing between mostly Muslim Fulani herders and largely Christian farming communities frequently escalate into deadly clashes.
—ABC News, 8 Apr. 2026
The fire caused the building’s roof to collapse and escalated to a six-alarm blaze, requiring the response of around 175 firefighters and evacuation of about 20 employees.
—Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for escalate
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Terell Bailey, CBS News, 9 Apr. 2026
At a legislative hearing called to address escalating concerns about wild predators, including coyotes, Wade Crowfoot, the state’s top environmental officer, called the situation a crisis.
—Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 8 Apr. 2026
Disputes over land and grazing between mostly Muslim Fulani herders and largely Christian farming communities frequently escalate into deadly clashes.
—ABC News, 8 Apr. 2026
The fire caused the building’s roof to collapse and escalated to a six-alarm blaze, requiring the response of around 175 firefighters and evacuation of about 20 employees.
—Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 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 14 Apr. 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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