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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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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
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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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