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
Mexican authorities investigate the slaying of San Miguel Amatitlan Mayor Joel Bravo Martínez in Oaxaca, shot weeks after pleading for state protection amid escalating threats, his party says.
—
Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2026
How The iPhone Ultra Changes Apple’s Portfolio Apple will establish a premium $1,999 iPhone Ultra price point to test the limit of luxury pricing and absorb escalating next-generation component costs.
—Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 14 June 2026
The tone goes from slow-burn dread to full-on madness, escalating in a way that pays off beautifully.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 14 June 2026
With advanced cameras and AI, the systems can detect changes in a person's movement that may signal escalating behavior.
—J.d. Miles, CBS News, 13 June 2026
The announcement comes after a week of escalating military exchanges between Washington and Tehran.
—Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 13 June 2026
The contradictory accounts from Washington and Tehran come after several days of escalating violence.
—Nik Popli, Time, 12 June 2026
The former friends’ quickly escalating feud is often too earth-shattering too laugh at, but the dark-comic hijinks still work to illustrate the parallels between Alice and Steve.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 8 June 2026
The company is grappling with escalating competition from chief rivals Anthropic and Google, faces lawsuits alleging ChatGPT played a role in shootings and suicides and is combatting general consumer backlash against AI.
—Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 8 June 2026
Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2026
How The iPhone Ultra Changes Apple’s Portfolio Apple will establish a premium $1,999 iPhone Ultra price point to test the limit of luxury pricing and absorb escalating next-generation component costs.
—Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 14 June 2026
The tone goes from slow-burn dread to full-on madness, escalating in a way that pays off beautifully.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 14 June 2026
With advanced cameras and AI, the systems can detect changes in a person's movement that may signal escalating behavior.
—J.d. Miles, CBS News, 13 June 2026
The announcement comes after a week of escalating military exchanges between Washington and Tehran.
—Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 13 June 2026
The contradictory accounts from Washington and Tehran come after several days of escalating violence.
—Nik Popli, Time, 12 June 2026
The former friends’ quickly escalating feud is often too earth-shattering too laugh at, but the dark-comic hijinks still work to illustrate the parallels between Alice and Steve.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 8 June 2026
The company is grappling with escalating competition from chief rivals Anthropic and Google, faces lawsuits alleging ChatGPT played a role in shootings and suicides and is combatting general consumer backlash against AI.
—Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 8 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for escalating
Verb
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In the study, which analyzed data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health collected between 2021 and 2024, researchers say that despite numerous state-level bans on kratom across the nation, its use is at an all-time high and is increasing.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
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These whales face increasing threats from climate change and human activity.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
19 June 2026
Verb
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Australia is accelerating efforts to protect frontline troops from the growing threat of small drones, awarding a contract to defense technology firm OpenWorks under the Australian Defence Force’s Land 156 counter-drone program.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
18 June 2026
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ReelShort is accelerating its Southeast Asia expansion with a new strategic partnership with Philippine telecommunications giant Globe, even as founder and CEO Joey Jia says the future of the company extends far beyond microdramas.—
Lin Ying-Hsuan,
Variety,
18 June 2026
Verb
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Condos have been hit hard by rising costs associated with ownership, such as HOA dues and homeowners insurance.—
Andrea Riquier,
USA Today,
13 June 2026
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The West Coast is also bracing for rising temperatures, with highs climbing to 10 to 25 degrees above normal this weekend.—
Christine Rapp,
NBC news,
13 June 2026
Verb
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Layne’s group has pushed county leaders to fund a continuous drug addiction treatment program, expanding access for those who need it both during and after incarceration.—
Gavin J. Quinton,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
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Episode 2 continues that methodology, pairing globally influential artists with scientific inquiry, while expanding the scope of both the artistry and the research.—
Jem Aswad,
Variety,
18 June 2026
Verb
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That enhanced fiber swelling under microwaving exposes a greater number of accessible binding sites for pigment on keratin.—
Jennifer Bringle,
Footwear News,
17 June 2026
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While the Hamptons enjoy a swelling population of seasonal residents, many of whom live in palatial mansions, the Container Studio was built for an artist looking for a compact creative space close to her Hamptons home.—
Caitlin Gunther,
Architectural Digest,
17 June 2026
Verb
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Here are six brain-boosting hobbies that are backed by science.—
Mark Gurarie,
Verywell Health,
17 June 2026
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Why mood boosting perfume matters now The trend sits at the crossroads of wellness, neuroscience and beauty.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Charlotte Observer,
17 June 2026
Verb
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But its plenty capable of managing or augmenting administrative work.—
Joe Toscano,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
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With Ethan Hawke's newbie simmering against the go-for-broke finesse of Denzel Washington's very bad, no-good officer, Training Day revels in tension, with washes of blue and green augmenting scenes where Hawke is bullied into getting high.—
Eric Farwell,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Escalating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/escalating. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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