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

Send one clear message—and then stop chasing When someone abruptly goes quiet, the goal is to respond without escalating the conflict while staying grounded in your own needs, Needle says. — Angela Haupt, Time, 26 Aug. 2026

While safety and code compliance matter, treating high-profile participants with escalating six-figure penalties risks chilling the very partners that amplify San Diego’s largest annual economic event. — U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026

The move came Monday amid growing economic pressure and public frustration being felt in Russia after months of escalating Ukrainian attacks on oil refineries and e-commerce hubs that have caused nationwide disruptions. — ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026

The series of attacks has shaken the members of the community, despite most users recognizing there was not much that the Cara team could do in the face of escalating capabilities of scrapers and hackers. — Rob Salkowitz, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026

The warring countries are locked in an escalating duel of long-range aerial strikes. — Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026

The escalating conflict pushed Brent crude, the international benchmark, from about $71 a barrel at the start of the month to above $100 by July 23. — Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026

What the outbreak means for Americans Despite the escalating death toll in Africa, health officials emphasize that the average American faces very little threat from Ebola. — Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2026

The president’s ruse to leave Turkey came at a point where the war with Iran was escalating. — Michael Loria, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2026