ESCALATION Synonyms: 55 Similar and Opposite Words

escalation

noun

Definition of escalation

as in expansion

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of escalation The vast majority of plans with auto-escalation, 69%, boosted deferrals by 1% per year, the Plan Sponsor Council of America found. — Kate Dore, Cfp®, Ea, CNBC, 12 Nov. 2026 In anticipation of a military escalation, oil prices spent every single day of October above $100 a barrel, gradually rising to a four-year high of $114 on the last trading day of the month. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 11 Nov. 2026 All the leaders engaged in North Korean security debates—from Lee and Takaichi to Xi and Putin—want to avoid such escalation. — Stephen E. Biegun, Foreign Affairs, 11 Nov. 2026 The latest escalation comes a day after Yemen’s Houthi-run health ministry said Saudi airstrikes killed at least 33 people near Sanaa. — Reuters, NBC news, 8 Nov. 2026 Kristallnacht marked a major escalation in the Nazi persecution of Jews. — ABC News, 8 Nov. 2026 Drones or drone parts have been found numerous times in the sea or on the shore in Bulgaria following the escalation of Russia’s war in Ukraine this year. — Derek Gatopoulos, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026 Staff caught the attack in progress before any supply was damaged, but going from spoiled groceries to the blood supply is a big escalation. — Alan Henry, PC Magazine, 6 Nov. 2026 But most of this energy price escalation stems from Joe Biden’s anti-fossil-energy, Green New Deal nonsense. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 5 Nov. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for escalation

Noun

But that expansion was allowed to expire, and the child poverty rate went back up sharply.

— Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Nov. 2026
Set in the period immediately following Napoleon's fall from power and the end of his expansion throughout Europe, the Congress of Vienna convenes to try and set the continent straight.

— K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 13 Nov. 2026

Definition of expansion

Noun

Milei’s austerity drive has produced a rare budget surplus and slashed annual inflation from 200% to about 32%.

— Isabel Debre, Los Angeles Times, 9 Nov. 2026
Using a different inflation measure to calculate the annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), which would slow benefit growth.

— Lena Borrelli, Fortune, 8 Nov. 2026

Definition of inflation

Noun

According to Jones, the main reason for that growth has simply been getting the team healthy.

— Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Nov. 2026
Nvidia has had an advantage from the start and as soon as a competitor releases something just as good, Nvidia has put out the next better chip, said Jay Aldebert, chief growth officer of International Services Inc.

— ABC News, ABC News, 13 Nov. 2026

Definition of growth

Noun

Clutter creep is the gradual buildup of items in living spaces, often caused by habits like postponing tidying.

— Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Nov. 2026
Starting Wednesday, a chance of rain creeps into the evening forecast, and will turn into a 50% chance on Wednesday night through much of Thursday, forecasters say.

— Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of creep

Noun

Other symptoms include difficulty breathing, weakness of other muscles, abdominal distension, and constipation.

— Saleen Martin, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
Difficulty in breathing, weakness of other muscles, abdominal distension, and constipation may also be common symptoms.

— Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 21 Jan. 2026

Definition of distension

Noun

Vistra and the midterm elections CNBC superstar and senior executive producer Max Meyers highlighted Vistra 's drop and the rise in favorability for Democrats to sweep the midterms.

— Jason Gewirtz, CNBC, 3 Nov. 2026
Away from the elections, the briefing covers a new boom in fossil fuels driven by Big Tech and the latest research on the mysterious rise of colorectal cancer among young people.

— Francesca Ebel, Washington Post, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of rise

Browse Nearby Words

escalating

escalation

escalations

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Escalation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/escalation. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of escalation

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

lissome

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Popular in Wordplay

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Nov. 13

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes