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
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Recent Examples of escalating
With The Mannequin, Sean Byrne has gifted us two unforgettable characters in Charley and Sadie and then thrown them into a fast-escalating nightmare.
—
Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 11 May 2026
The Saudi Aramco logo is displayed on a mobile phone screen in this photo illustration, as prices fluctuate amid escalating conflict involving Iran and concerns over global supply disruptions in Brussels, Belgium, on March 2, 2026.
—Azhar Sukri, CNBC, 10 May 2026
That frustration rings especially true in Colorado, where insurance premiums have been climbing thanks to escalating wildfire and weather risks, a concern the Hippo report identifies as a major pressure point across the Mountain region.
—Sara B. Hansen, Denver Post, 9 May 2026
Utah Supreme Court Justice Diana Hagen resigned Friday amid mounting pressure from Republican state leaders and an escalating investigation into allegations of an affair with an attorney connected to a major redistricting lawsuit.
—Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 9 May 2026
Other concerns have centered around the escalating price tag.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 8 May 2026
From housing to groceries to escalating water and electricity rates, people are struggling, and wages aren’t keeping up.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
Boards should make ample use of progressive enforcement measures before considering the possibility of escalating to legal action.
—Nicole R. Kurtz, Miami Herald, 7 May 2026
That creates a fissure among the survivors, an escalating conflict through which the behaviors of young men, both for better and worse (mostly worse), are boiled down to their terrifying essence.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 4 May 2026
Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 11 May 2026
The Saudi Aramco logo is displayed on a mobile phone screen in this photo illustration, as prices fluctuate amid escalating conflict involving Iran and concerns over global supply disruptions in Brussels, Belgium, on March 2, 2026.
—Azhar Sukri, CNBC, 10 May 2026
That frustration rings especially true in Colorado, where insurance premiums have been climbing thanks to escalating wildfire and weather risks, a concern the Hippo report identifies as a major pressure point across the Mountain region.
—Sara B. Hansen, Denver Post, 9 May 2026
Utah Supreme Court Justice Diana Hagen resigned Friday amid mounting pressure from Republican state leaders and an escalating investigation into allegations of an affair with an attorney connected to a major redistricting lawsuit.
—Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 9 May 2026
Other concerns have centered around the escalating price tag.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 8 May 2026
From housing to groceries to escalating water and electricity rates, people are struggling, and wages aren’t keeping up.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
Boards should make ample use of progressive enforcement measures before considering the possibility of escalating to legal action.
—Nicole R. Kurtz, Miami Herald, 7 May 2026
That creates a fissure among the survivors, an escalating conflict through which the behaviors of young men, both for better and worse (mostly worse), are boiled down to their terrifying essence.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 4 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for escalating
Verb
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James Ward During the debate, Republican candidate Steve Hilton said that only a small percentage of California has been developed for housing, arguing that the state should focus on building homes on undeveloped land rather than increasing density in existing cities.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
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Doing so compresses the light reflected from the plasma, thereby increasing its intensity.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Anthropic also warned that highly capable AI models could dramatically improve offensive cyber operations by accelerating vulnerability discovery and attack planning.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
14 May 2026
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New research points to a mechanism within the Cascadia fault that could be accelerating a break.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Sentiment was hurt by the rising price of gas caused by the war, according to survey director Joanne Hsu.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
10 May 2026
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Our teachers are making an impact every day while working with increasing local demands, rising expectations, and with less state funding.—
Clinton McCracken,
The Orlando Sentinel,
9 May 2026
Verb
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With revenue-sharing challenges mounting across college athletics — and some schools already cutting sports — expanding the playoff has become a potential financial lifeline.—
Trey Wallace OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
14 May 2026
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According to Abbott's office, the Texas Department of Public Safety is immediately expanding the Texas Repeat Offender Taskforce to the Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio and Austin metropolitan areas.—
Mateo Rosiles,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
Verb
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More than 100 peacocks are wreaking havoc in the Italian seaside town of Punta Marina on the Adriatic coast, leading to local divisions over what to do about the swelling colony.—
Amarachi Orie,
CNN Money,
14 May 2026
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Fluid can start to leak out into surrounding tissues and collect there, which can show up as swelling in areas like the face and around the eyes, said Johnson.—
Kathleen Ferraro,
Verywell Health,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Connecticut’s Alex Karaban also stood out in shooting drills — finishing first in midrange shooting and the 3-point star drill — after boosting his vertical jump by 5½ inches since the 2024 combine.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
13 May 2026
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The country is known for collagen-boosting procedures, skin regeneration therapies and advanced laser treatments tied to the global K-beauty movement.—
Hanna Wickes,
Sacbee.com,
13 May 2026
Verb
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While Univision will continue to feature the highly dramatic telenovelas for which it is best known, the network is augmenting its schedule in areas that are certain to draw broader crowds, including sports.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
12 May 2026
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Semafor’s journalists helped fill in the gaps by augmenting the readout with reporting that wasn’t captured in the transcript.—
Gina Chua,
semafor.com,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Escalating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/escalating. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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