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
For phone traffic, Jobber’s AI receptionist fields up to 15 calls per hour—fielding job inquiries, vendor pitches, the occasional invitation to a training seminar in Costa Rica—and escalates only what matters.
—
Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2026
The argument escalates into a physical altercation with the women pushing, punching and pulling hair.
—Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2026
As the siege escalates, loyalties are tested and selfless sacrifices are made, leading to a desperate fight for survival where not everyone will emerge alive.
—Selome Hailu, Variety, 26 Mar. 2026
The action by Placer Citizens for Neighborhood Rights, a local group that has led the resistance to the project, escalates the fight over the 240 apartments and provides a test of state environmental law.
—Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 23 Mar. 2026
What is needed now, Fingerhut added, is a stronger, more coordinated pushback before rhetoric escalates into violence.
—Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 22 Mar. 2026
The strait remains virtually closed as violence in the region escalates, bringing shipping traffic to a near-halt.
—CBS News, 21 Mar. 2026
Continue reading … POLITICS WHO KNEW WHAT — James Comey subpoenaed over 2017 Russia probe as DOJ escalates investigation.
—FOXNews.com, 20 Mar. 2026
Simply put, if a human operator senses something is going wrong, the robot should react before the error escalates.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 19 Mar. 2026
Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2026
The argument escalates into a physical altercation with the women pushing, punching and pulling hair.
—Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2026
As the siege escalates, loyalties are tested and selfless sacrifices are made, leading to a desperate fight for survival where not everyone will emerge alive.
—Selome Hailu, Variety, 26 Mar. 2026
The action by Placer Citizens for Neighborhood Rights, a local group that has led the resistance to the project, escalates the fight over the 240 apartments and provides a test of state environmental law.
—Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 23 Mar. 2026
What is needed now, Fingerhut added, is a stronger, more coordinated pushback before rhetoric escalates into violence.
—Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 22 Mar. 2026
The strait remains virtually closed as violence in the region escalates, bringing shipping traffic to a near-halt.
—CBS News, 21 Mar. 2026
Continue reading … POLITICS WHO KNEW WHAT — James Comey subpoenaed over 2017 Russia probe as DOJ escalates investigation.
—FOXNews.com, 20 Mar. 2026
Simply put, if a human operator senses something is going wrong, the robot should react before the error escalates.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 19 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for escalates
Verb
-
The translunar injection involves firing Orion's main engine, which increases the spacecraft's velocity to send it out of Earth orbit and toward the moon.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
-
With warmer weather heralding spring, the amount of outdoor activities significantly increases.—
Lesly Gregory,
AJC.com,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
What Happens Next Attention will now turn to labor negotiations, political response, and whether the transition timeline accelerates.—
Sam Stevenson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
-
When you’re fully submerged in the culture of your field’s epicenter, learning accelerates.—
Bill Gurley,
Fortune,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The probability of lightning strikes rises as a thunderstorm approaches and peaks when the storm is directly above.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The probability of lightning strikes rises as a thunderstorm approaches and peaks when the storm is directly above.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Drone delivery expands across the Charlotte region The Queen City is no stranger to drone deliveries.—
Chase Jordan
March 27,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The find helps explain water’s odd behavior and its unusual properties, including the reason ice cubes float and how liquid water expands as its temperature drops below 39 degrees Fahrenheit (four degrees Celsius).—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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That was expected to be the last remaining obstacle to the world's biggest sporting event arriving in this 20,000-person suburb tucked between Boston and Providence, Rhode Island, that swells to three times its size for New England Patriots games.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 Mar. 2026
-
The noise of your life recedes and a surge of connectedness and gratitude swells inside of you.—
Outside Online,
Outside Online,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Leo moon boosts your confidence in authenticity.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The wider 256-bit memory interface also boosts memory bandwidth, which will improve overall performance.—
Michael Justin Allen Sexton,
PC Magazine,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Researchers have long recognized that climate change intensifies heat waves.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
28 Mar. 2026
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Chronic low back or sciatic pain that intensifies monthly may be treated as a musculoskeletal problem.—
Sarah Berg,
STAT,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
This is the first of a new type of rideshare program flying to that orbit that augments SpaceX’s Transporter program that flies to SSO.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 Mar. 2026
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The Advanced tier is perfect for mid-level and large companies, which further augments your accounting department with Excel data sync capabilities along with backup and restore functionality.—
George Yang,
PC Magazine,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Escalates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/escalates. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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