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

Oil prices edged higher Thursday as worries over escalating tensions in the Middle East and their impact on energy supplies kept Brent crude above $100 a barrel. — Sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2026

Zelensky implores world leaders to toughen pressure on Russia as escalating missile and drone barrages pound Kyiv and other cities, killing civilians despite years of sanctions and diplomatic isolation. — Samya Kullab, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026

The president accused Iran of trying to influence the midterm elections as escalating violence in the Middle East loomed over his convention. — Isaac Arnsdorf, Washington Post, 9 Sep. 2026

In August, the president signed an executive order directing his administration to change the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America after threatening the action for days amid a rapidly escalating trade war with Canada. — Joey Garrison, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026

Amid escalating attacks from the White House, NMAH Director Anthea Hartig became the first Smithsonian official in July to testify on the issue before Congress. — ABC News, 8 Sep. 2026

The effort to combat escalating instances of counterfeiting coincides with statewide efforts to tamp down retail crime. — Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 2 Sep. 2026

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the European Union was preparing additional sanctions against Russia, while Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk accused Moscow of escalating tensions across the region. — Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 2 Sep. 2026

An agent with the policy, the loss details and the carrier's guidelines can handle it, escalating anything that does not fit. — Manish Garg, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2026