ESCALATES Synonyms: 100 Similar and Opposite Words

escalates

verb

present tense third-person singular of escalate

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

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 The agent reads a contract, finds the clause, fills in the field, and escalates the exception. — Eshaan Jain, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2026 Russia escalates attacks near Polish border Russia has stepped up its attacks near the Polish border in recent weeks, including in Yahodyn, which is a major pathway for Western military and humanitarian aid into Ukraine. — Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2026 As the financial press dials up estimates of total investment in data centers—from hundreds of billions to lately several trillion dollars—the fear of compute overcapacity, low or negative returns, and a recession escalates. — Harvard Business Review, 11 Sep. 2026 Despite some during hopes for peace earlier in the summer, oil has now renewed its climb as fighting escalates once more. — Arkansas Online, 10 Sep. 2026 Before this escalates any further, examine their actual histories. — Ralph D. Russo, New York Times, 5 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for escalates

Verb

Why wouldn’t the players want a system that pays them a larger share of the overall revenue, increases their salary minimums and gives them earlier access to arbitration eligibility and free agency?

— Jim Bowden, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Even people who carry the APOE4 gene, which increases the risk of later-in-life Alzheimer’s, still benefited from a healthier middle age.

— Lauran Neergaard, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of increases

Verb

As close cycles compress and reporting accelerates, finance professionals can spend less time on reconciliation and number crunching and more time on analysis and business partnership.

— Hemant Kapadia, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
As the aircraft accelerates and the conditions become suitable for ramjet operation, airflow can be redirected so that the ramjet becomes the primary source of propulsion.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of accelerates

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

Overtime boosts the Sheriff’s Office budget Like most large county agencies, the Sheriff’s Office relies on overtime.

— Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 15 Sep. 2026
The patented multi-panel high-rise waistband technology in the leggings boosts muscle memory in core, glutes, and spine for instant alignment, stability, support and pain relief.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 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

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escalated

escalates

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“Escalates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/escalates. Accessed 18 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of escalates

verb

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