1
as in to increase
to become greater in extent, volume, amount, or number
as the war between the two countries escalated, it threatened to become a global conflict
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to accelerate
to make greater in size, amount, or number
the president promised to escalate the government's program to combat the dreaded disease
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of escalate
That band’s statement alleged his threats escalated in recent months.
—
Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 2 Apr. 2026
Trump, through a series of Truth Social ultimatums, has threatened to escalate America’s bombing campaign if Iran doesn’t forfeit control of the channel.
—Jack Dunn, Variety, 2 Apr. 2026
Over the past few months, his threats only escalated further.
—Walden Green, Pitchfork, 2 Apr. 2026
Research on support automation shows that many conversations with AI still eventually escalate to humans.
—Kevin Williams, CNBC, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for escalate
Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 2 Apr. 2026
Trump, through a series of Truth Social ultimatums, has threatened to escalate America’s bombing campaign if Iran doesn’t forfeit control of the channel.
—Jack Dunn, Variety, 2 Apr. 2026
Over the past few months, his threats only escalated further.
—Walden Green, Pitchfork, 2 Apr. 2026
Research on support automation shows that many conversations with AI still eventually escalate to humans.
—Kevin Williams, CNBC, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for escalate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for escalate
Verb
-
The MorphoScan’s measurements ebbed and flowed from day to day as expected, with my weight dropping the day after a cardio workout and increasing after a weekend of indulgence.—
Andrew Gebhart,
PC Magazine,
5 Apr. 2026
-
UConn recovered from its prolonged shooting slump to regain its bearings, eventually increasing its lead to 10 points on a Mullins’ 3 with 47 seconds left in the half before heading into the locker room up 37-29.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
At the height of the pandemic — when learning loss was accelerating and reading gaps were widening — the approval process was estimated to take six months to a year.—
Daniel L Gordon,
Daily News,
29 Mar. 2026
-
In the long term, the supply shock may accelerate nuclear restarts and electric vehicle adoption faster than years of climate policy ever managed.—
Nicholas Gordon,
Fortune,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Now there's another big one; the cost of nitrogen fertilizer, which often comes in the form of urea, is rising due to war.—
Alan Gionet,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Pisces February 19 – March 20 A fresh voice rises from within you.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
With the 2026 midterms approaching, sustained voter unease could reshape the broader electoral map and complicate Republican efforts to hold or expand their congressional margins.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
-
But the department is looking to expand its authority.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
From there, the Hornets’ advantage continued to swell with little Nets resistance, outside of a Minott flagrant foul early in the fourth quarter in a 27-point game.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
1 Apr. 2026
-
March 13 More than 300 TSA workers have resigned about a month into the partial government shutdown, DHS says, as employees miss their first full paycheck and callout rates swell.—
Graham Hurley,
CNN Money,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Fortifier, a product tailored to preemies, is meant to augment mother’s milk when babies are born prematurely and a mother’s milk alone doesn’t deliver enough nutrition.—
David Hilzenrath,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2026
-
And the bullpen highlighted by Carlos Estevez and Lucas Erceg augmented by the addition of Matt Strahm figures to give them an advantage in putting away games.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Your 3rd House of Information and your 11th House of Community are both boosted by the Moon’s trine to lucky Jupiter.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Gardeners frequently incorporate raw manure in the fall or composted manure in the spring to naturally boost soil nutrients.—
Anthony Reardon,
Kansas City Star,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The school also received a Rotary Club grant, and its PTA also raised a significant amount of money.—
Molly McCrea,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
-
But the arc — first raising expectations for a big reveal, then declaring there was nothing to see, and ultimately a forced, flawed document dump — was a stubbornly problematic storyline that ran through her time as attorney general.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Escalate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/escalate. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
