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
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of escalate
Detectives interviewed witnesses and learned that the friends’ argument over the food escalated before the shooting.
—
Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Jan. 2026
Minneapolis, home to mega corporations like Target, UnitedHealth and 3M, has become the testing ground for when and how far corporate leaders will wade into escalating political tensions, heightened by a president who pushes the bounds of state power.
—Hugh Son,melissa Repko, CNBC, 29 Jan. 2026
The encounter escalated when Massey picked up a pot of hot water, prompting the deputy to open fire fearing he would be scalded.
—John O’Connor, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026
The stylist initially apologized in a comment on Exeter’s video, but tensions escalated when Exeter later shared a private message from Jessica, who allegedly alluded to taking legal action for libel.
—Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for escalate
Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Jan. 2026
Minneapolis, home to mega corporations like Target, UnitedHealth and 3M, has become the testing ground for when and how far corporate leaders will wade into escalating political tensions, heightened by a president who pushes the bounds of state power.
—Hugh Son,melissa Repko, CNBC, 29 Jan. 2026
The encounter escalated when Massey picked up a pot of hot water, prompting the deputy to open fire fearing he would be scalded.
—John O’Connor, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026
The stylist initially apologized in a comment on Exeter’s video, but tensions escalated when Exeter later shared a private message from Jessica, who allegedly alluded to taking legal action for libel.
—Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for escalate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for escalate
Verb
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Research shows more adults in their 20s, 30s and 40s are being diagnosed with colorectal cancer, with incidence increasing over the last three decades.—
Mary Kekatos,
ABC News,
31 Jan. 2026
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When applied to the scalp, minoxidil increases blood flow and stimulates your hair follicles to regrow hair.—
Caroline C. Boyle,
USA Today,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The race to commercialize perovskite technology has accelerated rapidly in recent years.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Jan. 2026
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The transfer portal, which opened Friday, allows programs to accelerate the rebuilding process and replace departing players — more than 20 in Florida’s case.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Growth in services consumption outpacing goods expenditure largely reflects rising average income levels and would likely have occurred even without policy support, said Duncan Wrigley, chief China economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
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As the temperature rose, Mccullough said some workers clocked off at lunchtime, and other businesses closed early.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Jennie headlined Coachella as a solo artist while expanding her fashion ventures.—
Hannah Abraham,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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In recent years, auction houses have expanded their categories as luxury goods and collectibles have helped buoy their sales.—
Jacqui Palumbo,
CNN Money,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Side effects reported from Adam’s first human trial included mild bruising and swelling from the procedure, though these were minimal and resolved within 24 hours.—
Ana Castelain,
Bloomberg,
28 Jan. 2026
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Interconnection queues have swelled to historic levels, with gigawatts of ready-to-build generation projects waiting years for grid connection studies and upgrades.—
Jon Markman,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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This innovative approach not only speeds the design process but also frees up designers to focus on more creative tasks, demonstrating how AI can be used as a tool to augment human creativity rather than replace it.—
Li Jun,
Footwear News,
11 Jan. 2026
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Powell levels could be augmented by Upper Basin contributions to protect infrastructure.—
Debra Utacia Krol,
AZCentral.com,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Beijing has spent decades growing its trade ties and bankrolling projects in the region, to boost transportation links and cut energy costs – cementing its own influence along the way.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
31 Jan. 2026
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But an association with a sitting President can furnish a valuable credibility boost.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Subran estimated that if China were to raise its household disposable-income share in GDP from the current 58% towards the 70% to 75% range observed in advanced economies, private consumption could rise by around 10 percentage points in GDP.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
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Along with her late husband, the pair founded VIB, an anti-violence nonprofit dedicated to raising social awareness and aiding community causes in Boston, federal prosecutors said.—
Louis Casiano,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Escalate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/escalate. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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