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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of escalate
Matters escalated further this past summer during a dispute between Renner, Washington, Renner’s mother, and Washington’s wife outside of Renner’s home.
—
Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 1 Oct. 2025
The confrontation quickly escalates into an argument.
—Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 1 Oct. 2025
The exchange only escalated from there, with Minaj going on to continue to mention Cardi’s children and also accusing various figures in the music industry — notably her favorite target Roc Nation — of backdoor dealings to undermine her career.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025
The opt-out process escalates the company’s cavalier approach to intellectual property rights, potentially setting up a legal battle between Hollywood’s biggest studios and the AI start-up.
—Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for escalate
Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 1 Oct. 2025
The confrontation quickly escalates into an argument.
—Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 1 Oct. 2025
The exchange only escalated from there, with Minaj going on to continue to mention Cardi’s children and also accusing various figures in the music industry — notably her favorite target Roc Nation — of backdoor dealings to undermine her career.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025
The opt-out process escalates the company’s cavalier approach to intellectual property rights, potentially setting up a legal battle between Hollywood’s biggest studios and the AI start-up.
—Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for escalate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for escalate
Verb
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In 2024, that number increased just slightly—by less than 1%—compared to the year before.—
Chantelle Lee,
Time,
30 Sep. 2025
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Johnson’s detractors accuse him of championing Bukele despite his increasing abuses of power.—
T. Christian Miller,
ProPublica,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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This project secures funding through the Critical Design Review phase, procurement of long lead material for qualification, and will enable increased and accelerated capacity for solid rocket motor production, according to a press release.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Sep. 2025
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Government initiatives have accelerated this shift.—
Li Jun,
Footwear News,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Courtney Stodden rose to fame as a tabloid fixture and reality TV star after marrying 51-year-old actor Doug Hutchison at age 16.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 Sep. 2025
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Despite having full-time employment, many struggle to save enough for housing due to stagnant wages and rising expenses.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
27 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The Educational Freedom Accounts program significantly expand state taxpayer funding of student tuition and other costs related to private schools and some home-school expenses.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
2 Oct. 2025
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This is a sister organization to the Heritage Foundation, the think tank behind Project 2025—a sweeping conservative policy blueprint aimed at reshaping the federal government by expanding presidential power, dismantling parts of the civil service, and rolling back regulations across agencies.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Humberto is expected to bring long period swells to the Atlantic Coast, creating life-threatening surf and currents, according to the National Weather Service.—
Julia Gomez,
USA Today,
26 Sep. 2025
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Both swell and surf will begin to gradually lower late Tuesday.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In months, not years, utilities are already seeing the benefits of AI tools designed to augment human decision-making.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
27 Sep. 2025
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The sequence augmented took place at a wedding between two men, with AI editing swapping one man’s face for a woman’s.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Human rights advocates say Israel’s destruction of health infrastructure and intensified hostilities have hampered efforts to document the full scope of famine in Gaza.—
Soph Warnes,
CNN Money,
2 Oct. 2025
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As the winds intensified, power lines across the city started to fault.—
Chiara Eisner,
NPR,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Vintage photographs from Nguyen’s family gracing the walls will help boost its family-style vibe.—
Brock Keeling,
Oc Register,
26 Sep. 2025
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The album helped make Bridges a household name, boosting his national profile and earning him his first of six Grammy nominations.—
Harrison Mantas,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Escalate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/escalate. Accessed 3 Oct. 2025.
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