Synonyms of escalating

escalating

verb

present participle of escalate

1

as in increasing

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

• increasing
• rising
• accelerating
• swelling
• expanding
• intensifying
• climbing
• multiplying
• proliferating
• snowballing
• mounting
• accumulating
• waxing
• mushrooming
• ballooning
• spreading
• surging
• burgeoning
• booming
• enlarging
• gaining
• rolling up
• skyrocketing
• heightening
• jumping
• appreciating
• building up
• rocketing
• inflating
• peaking
• redoubling
• distending
• puffing (up)
• cresting
• bulking
• crescendoing
• blowing up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• decreasing
• diminishing
• contracting
• lessening
• receding
• waning
• dwindling

2

as in accelerating

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

• increasing
• accelerating
• expanding
• boosting
• augmenting
• raising
• multiplying
• extending
• intensifying
• swelling
• enhancing
• stoking
• compounding
• amplifying
• reinforcing
• adding (to)
• enlarging
• upping
• strengthening
• maximizing
• hyping
• skyrocketing
• pumping up
• building up
• aggrandizing
• spiking
• supersizing
• heightening
• supplementing
• booming
• developing
• jumping
• inflating
• prolonging
• lengthening
• stretching
• bumping (up)
• complementing
• distending
• elongating
• drawing out
• dilating
• protracting
• accumulating
• ratcheting (up)
• magnifying
• blowing up
• fleshing (out)
• amassing
• collecting
• racheting (up)
• beefing (up)
• following up
• parlaying

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• reducing
• decreasing
• diminishing
• lowering
• dwindling
• lessening
• downsizing
• subtracting (from)
• abating
• curtailing
• shortening
• de-escalating
• abbreviating
• contracting
• abridging
• compressing
• minifying
• condensing
• constricting
• cutting back
• retrenching

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of escalating

After monitoring the situation, park managers found the bear unusually difficult to scare away and said its escalating proximity to humans posed a safety risk that was deemed unacceptable, according to the national park. — Megan Fahrney, ABC News, 16 Sep. 2026

If not for the sudden availability of long-distance ocean transport (not to mention constant engineering challenges and the escalating cost of the plan), D-Day may have required far more woollen socks. — Mike McRae 16, New Atlas, 16 Sep. 2026

Now, the research and development in this realm is further gaining momentum, especially at times when the energy footprint of modern electronics is rapidly escalating. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 16 Sep. 2026

Bottom line Bears may argue that Linde is deeply vulnerable to a cyclical downturn in traditional industrial production, or that escalating debt used to build out its backlog will restrict capital returns. — Harvey Stober, CNBC, 15 Sep. 2026

According to Victoria Samson, chief director for space security and stability at the Secure World Foundation (SWF), the militarization is escalating rapidly in Earth orbit as more nations develop robust space programs. — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 15 Sep. 2026

The majority went to coaches’ and athletic directors’ ever-escalating salaries, lavish facilities and small armies of support staffers, nutritionists — even barbers. — Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026

Thakur’s request for a civil harassment restraining order alleged a pattern of escalating harassment that began in September 2025, KCRA 3 reported. — Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026

The president accused Iran of trying to influence the midterm elections as escalating violence in the Middle East loomed over his convention. — Isaac Arnsdorf, Washington Post, 9 Sep. 2026