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

As mobs storm Jewish neighborhoods and places of worship, Police Lieutenant Wilhelm Krützfeld (Owen) and his partner, Kai Lehmann (Pettyfer), investigate the murder of a Jewish doctor amid the escalating chaos. — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 4 Nov. 2026

Management's response, alongside efforts elsewhere in the industry to boost confidence, helped prevent a security breach from escalating into a broader crisis of confidence. — Tanaya MacHeel, CNBC, 3 Nov. 2026

The Michigan contest has been marked by controversial attacks on El-Sayed, who is Muslim, and by escalating tensions between him and Stevens, a strong supporter of Israel. — Rick Pearson, Chicago Tribune, 2 Nov. 2026

The Supreme Court's refusal to intervene comes as the Justice Department has been escalating its feud with California election officials. — Jude Joffe-Block, NPR, 2 Nov. 2026

Since then, the country has become increasingly isolated even as the smaller Hugo Chavez International Airport in Cap-Haïtien emerged as the new international gateway amid the escalating gang violence in Port-au-Prince and neighboring cities. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 1 Nov. 2026

China’s state broadcaster declined to broadcast matches from La Liga on Sunday, escalating Beijing’s row with the Spanish soccer league over Kylian Mbappé’s offhanded comments about Mao Zedong. — Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 1 Nov. 2026

Brazil summoned Argentina’s chargé d’affaires after Flávio Bolsonaro traveled through Argentina to Miami, escalating tensions between the South American neighbors. — Eléonore Hughes, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2026

Getting into spoilers, Matt’s escalating thirst for vengeance comes to a head at a nightclub owned by the mob boss who sliced up his face in the first place. — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 26 Oct. 2026