escalates

verb

present tense third-person singular of escalate
1
as in increases
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 accelerates
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

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 escalates Before this escalates any further, examine their actual histories. — Ralph D. Russo, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2026 As trials become more decentralized, every additional handoff, transcription event or reconciliation cycle escalates cost and operational risk. — Avik Pal, Forbes.com, 4 Sep. 2026 Sunshine and Hamza stage a streetside scuffle that escalates beyond expectations. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 4 Sep. 2026 Years of war are taking a heavy toll on Ukrainians as Russia escalates its attacks. — ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026 While some of the skills were previously taught in limited high school modules, the new version escalates this training for children as young as 13. — Bloomberg, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026 Ukraine escalates its own long-range drone campaign, hitting Russian command posts and major online retailers, while stray drones over neighboring Moldova underscore fears the war could spill across borders. — Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026 The move further escalates a trade war with the United States' northern neighbor that erupted after negotiations between the two countries collapsed over the weekend. — Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2026 The dynamic between the parents and the perpetrators steadily escalates from politeness to hostility to eventual torture, all while maintaining a frustrating attitude of inevitability and justification toward the former’s fate. — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for escalates
  1. increases
  2. accelerates
  3. rises
  4. expands
  5. swells
  6. boosts
  7. intensifies
  8. augments
Verb
  • Banks are happy to oblige, issuing loans and credit with high interest rates to low-income individuals with questionable credit ratings, which increases the likelihood of loan defaults and bankruptcies.
    — Eric Khant, Sun Sentinel, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Goldman said that its best-case scenario places Brent in the $60-per-barrel range in 2027, but only if oil production in the Persian Gulf increases by 1 million barrels a day above its pre-war levels.
    — Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of increases
Verb
  • Mountain peaks and slopes could see gusts reaching hurricane force, as the islands’ terrain accelerates the winds.
    — Tyler Ory, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Her new employer is preparing to spend billions building computing capacity as demand for AI infrastructure accelerates.
    — Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of accelerates
Verb
  • This percentage of stellar partnership rises to around 90% of massive stars.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 9 Sep. 2026
  • That could be important in neighborhoods where demand rises sharply when residents return home and switch on appliances, heating or cooling systems.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of rises
Verb
  • Its value becomes visible when delivery accelerates and engineering capacity expands without weakening architecture, quality standards or ownership.
    — Boris Kontsevoi, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2026
  • All of those companies have been massive winners for investors this year, with HPE and AMD more than doubling in value and Intel almost tripling, as the artificial infrastructure buildout expands to companies beyond Nvidia.
    — Isabel O'Brien, CNBC, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of expands
Verb
  • Although no coastal watches or warnings were in effect, swells generated by Marie will continue to affect portions of southwest Mexico, the Baja California peninsula and Southern California for the next few days, the hurricane center said.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Sep. 2026
  • But swells from the south could reach the Central Coast and Bay Area.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of swells
Verb
  • Addressing their basic needs by offering a host of services to all students and families — nearly 93% of children come from low-income households — is a priority that boosts attendance.
    — Francesca Pinney, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Huge price target boosts for refiners Marathon Petroleum ($405 from $321), Phillips 66 ($300 from $235) and Valero ($450 from $355) at UBS.
    — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of boosts
Verb
  • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pressed the delegation and European advisors for Patriot air defenses, a winter support package and long-term security guarantees as Russia intensifies drone strikes across Ukrainian cities.
    — Samya Kullab, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The Grand Canyon’s vast, mile-deep landscape may appear timeless, but two devastating disasters have recently struck the iconic natural wonder as the climate crisis intensifies extreme weather.
    — Chris Boyette, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of intensifies
Verb
  • The funding augments ongoing lobbying efforts from the individual firms.
    — Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 25 Aug. 2026
  • That’s the process of a centaur, who gets to choose and direct the technology that augments his work.
    — Peter Greene, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of augments

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Cite this Entry

“Escalates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/escalates. Accessed 12 Sep. 2026.

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