escalates

present tense third-person singular of escalate
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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 Whether the strategy succeeds—or escalates into direct conflict—remains uncertain. Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025 Tracy’s dialogue, though absent the staccato non sequiturs of the director’s earlier work, has a bracing nastiness; every visual flourish and every menacing thrum of the score, by Jerskin Fendrix, escalates the intensity of Stone and Plemons’s bravura showdown. Justin Chang, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2025 Once an athlete shares a nugget or two on a teammate’s injury or a coach’s scheme, the blackmail escalates. Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 24 Oct. 2025 What begins as a friendly rivalry, quickly escalates to an all-out holiday showdown. Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Oct. 2025 Whether the situation escalates into global annihilation or cools into a détente is left ambiguous. Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2025 In the scene, when Zoey and Mira catch sight of the guys, their eyes turn into bulging red hearts, then change shape several more times as the attraction escalates. Peter Debruge, Variety, 20 Oct. 2025 When Kayla finally asks Kate to either collect her things or contribute a small amount toward rent, the situation escalates. Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 8 Oct. 2025 The risk escalates dramatically in high-emission scenarios over multi-century timescales. Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 7 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for escalates
Verb
  • Benefits of Heat Therapy Heat therapy increases tissue temperature and blood flow to your back, relaxing muscles and improving pain.
    RikkiLynn Shields Hannigan, Health, 25 Oct. 2025
  • As the Universe expands, the volume increases, while the particle masses and the total number of particles remain the same.
    Big Think, Big Think, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • This approach lowers costs, accelerates delivery, and — by integrating superior technology on these platforms at scale — ensures that America has both the fleet size and the industrial depth needed to respond to a crisis.
    Big Think, Big Think, 28 Oct. 2025
  • As the sins of the past come to the surface, the film only accelerates, providing high entertainment and thematic resonance all at once.
    Katie Rife, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Airfare is typically at its lowest two to three months before peak travel dates and rises quickly as the holidays get closer.
    Essence, Essence, 24 Oct. 2025
  • That's because the trees there soak up and release moisture, which rises to create clouds and more rain.
    NPR, NPR, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • That might be a regular thing for a few years, and then again once the Playoff inevitably expands.
    Alex Kirshner, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025
  • As the Universe expands, the volume increases, while the particle masses and the total number of particles remain the same.
    Big Think, Big Think, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • According to construction manager John Kearns, the oceans swells became too challenging, moving the barge too much for the crane to operate safely.
    Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 21 Oct. 2025
  • And learn to map the tides, the winds, the sea swells, as the navigators do?
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The sneakers are designed with a lightweight EVA midsole for flexible support and a rubber outsole that boosts durability.
    Toni Sutton, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Some people claim that reverse dieting boosts your metabolism, but scientific evidence to support this claim is lacking.
    Emily Brown, Verywell Health, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • This scenario would be more likely if the storm intensifies faster and gets guided north by a dip in the jet stream.
    Joe Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
  • The recent fossil find intensifies the discussion about the differing ecological roles of early hominin species.
    Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Avery’s model augments the traditional VC model.
    Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 15 Oct. 2025
  • To enhance the verisimilitude of his wraparound segment, Cheel augments the fictional story of alien-contact footage discovered at a yard sale with nonfiction asides about UFO culture.
    A.A. Dowd, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Escalates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/escalates. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.

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