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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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 escalating
While Stern has escalating competition in the in-depth-chat-with-famous-people arena, his show is just as beloved by devotees for its iconic side players.
—
Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2025
Protesters were galvanized by revelations of generous allowances for lawmakers at a time the cost of living is rising, with the demonstrations escalating after a delivery driver was hit and killed by an armored police vehicle.
—Grace Sihombing, Fortune, 8 Sep. 2025
Meanwhile, customer support teams use it to triage inquiries, escalating only the complex ones while automatically resolving the rest.
—Rebecca Jones, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
The escalating actions also follow a massive raid last week at a Hyundai plant in Georgia that, while not in a sanctuary city, previews forthcoming worksite operations, border czar Tom Homan told CNN’s Jake Tapper on Sunday.
—Priscilla Alvarez, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2025
Their visit followed reports that the Pentagon had repositioned ten F-35 fighter jets to the island amid escalating tensions with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
—Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 8 Sep. 2025
He is soon pulled into an underworld of drugs, violence, escalating dangers and missing bodies.
—The Know, Denver Post, 7 Sep. 2025
Greengrass and his team of three editors, led by seasoned action hand William Goldenberg, cut back and forth between Kevin’s personal difficulties and reports of rapidly escalating wildfires, the scramble to control them led by Cal Fire battalion chief Ray Martinez (Yul Vázquez).
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2025
Community policing, which is a collaboration between police and the community to solve problems, and the use-of-force continuum – the escalating series of appropriate actions an officer may take to resolve a situation – also form part of training.
—Luke William Hunt, The Conversation, 5 Sep. 2025
Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2025
Protesters were galvanized by revelations of generous allowances for lawmakers at a time the cost of living is rising, with the demonstrations escalating after a delivery driver was hit and killed by an armored police vehicle.
—Grace Sihombing, Fortune, 8 Sep. 2025
Meanwhile, customer support teams use it to triage inquiries, escalating only the complex ones while automatically resolving the rest.
—Rebecca Jones, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
The escalating actions also follow a massive raid last week at a Hyundai plant in Georgia that, while not in a sanctuary city, previews forthcoming worksite operations, border czar Tom Homan told CNN’s Jake Tapper on Sunday.
—Priscilla Alvarez, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2025
Their visit followed reports that the Pentagon had repositioned ten F-35 fighter jets to the island amid escalating tensions with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
—Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 8 Sep. 2025
He is soon pulled into an underworld of drugs, violence, escalating dangers and missing bodies.
—The Know, Denver Post, 7 Sep. 2025
Greengrass and his team of three editors, led by seasoned action hand William Goldenberg, cut back and forth between Kevin’s personal difficulties and reports of rapidly escalating wildfires, the scramble to control them led by Cal Fire battalion chief Ray Martinez (Yul Vázquez).
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2025
Community policing, which is a collaboration between police and the community to solve problems, and the use-of-force continuum – the escalating series of appropriate actions an officer may take to resolve a situation – also form part of training.
—Luke William Hunt, The Conversation, 5 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for escalating
Verb
-
The materials also mold to your feet over time, increasing their comfort and personalizing their fit.—
Alyssa Grabinski,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
-
In Platte County, population growth also contributes to the increasing demand for real estate.—
Madeline King,
Kansas City Star,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
In response, Russia pivoted towards eastward to China again, signing the Power of Siberia Pipeline, and then accelerating the development of payment systems like Mir and System for Transfer of Financial Messages (SPFS) to circumvent Western financial systems.—
Earl Carr,
Forbes.com,
4 Sep. 2025
-
If the slow-burn romances between Jim and Pam and, eventually, Dwight and Angela gave the original series heart, The Paper establishes several workplace pairings immediately and plainly, accelerating their advancement.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Advertisement Macron alone cannot be blamed for the rising far-right, which is on the march across the West.—
Cole Stangler,
Time,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Older adults must factor in rising costs for Medicare Part B premiums, which would be announced later in 2025.—
Susan Tompor,
USA Today,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Student Experience and Programming — expanding academic programs such as the Capstone Design, the Flowers Invention Studio, and the Student Competition Center by supporting faculty mentors and students.—
Michael T. Nietzel,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
-
France, which plans to recognize a Palestinian state this month at the United Nations, also voiced its opposition to Israel expanding operations in Gaza.—
Rachel Wolf,
FOXNews.com,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
With 2025 on track to bring more threats against members of Congress than any year in history, law enforcement agencies are bracing for a volatile era defined by surging political violence, swelling protest movements and a more muscular federal role in local communities.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 Sep. 2025
-
An abdominal brace can help support the muscled and compress the area to reduce swelling.—
Bruce Y. Lee,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Deploying chatbots to handle routine customer queries, for instance, allows human agents to focus on complex issues, boosting both efficiency and experience.—
Nitesh Mirchandani,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
-
These updates are aimed not only at boosting sales through faster service and better in-store experiences, but also at restoring the kind of profit margins the coffee giant enjoyed before the Covid pandemic.—
Paulina Likos,
CNBC,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
That product was built from the ground up around AI and was possible only because of AI, as opposed to augmenting an existing product with AI.—
Sage Lazzaro,
Fortune,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Their ability to market such brands within these sources proves their brand message augmenting capability.—
Connie Etemadi,
USA Today,
28 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Escalating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/escalating. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share