escalate

verb

es·​ca·​late ˈe-skə-ˌlāt How to pronounce escalate (audio)
nonstandard
-skyə- How to pronounce escalate (audio)
escalated; escalating
Synonyms of escalate

intransitive verb

: to increase in extent, volume, number, amount, intensity, or scope
… a little war threatens to escalate into a huge ugly one …—Mike Mansfield

transitive verb

: expand sense 2
escalation
ˌe-skə-ˈlā-shən How to pronounce escalate (audio)
nonstandard -skyə-
noun
escalatory
ˈe-skə-lə-ˌtȯr-ē How to pronounce escalate (audio)
nonstandard -skyə-
adjective

Synonyms of escalate

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Examples of escalate in a Sentence

The conflict has escalated into an all-out war. a time of escalating tensions We are trying not to escalate the violence. Salaries of leading executives have continued to escalate. The cold weather has escalated fuel prices.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
This gives reliability engineers a standardized baseline to track asset health over time, enabling teams to spot early signs of wear and intervene before minor issues escalate into costly plant shutdowns, according to a press release. — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 30 Oct. 2026 Room for Disagreement Kenyan critics of the AFCON infrastructure developments have argued that the projects have been an avenue for corruption and risk escalating Kenya’s $98 billion debt burden. — Martin K.n Siele, semafor.com, 30 Oct. 2026 The situation appeared to escalate further, as seen in a separate clip shared on X, when Rodríguez Parrilla continued to protest and moved closer to the podium. — Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2026 The congestion has been brewing since the spring, with rail dwell time escalating every month since March, according to Pacific Merchant Shipping Association data. — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 28 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for escalate

Word History

Etymology

back-formation from escalator

First Known Use

1944, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of escalate was in 1944

Phrases Containing escalate

Rhymes for escalate

See All Rhymes for escalate

Browse Nearby Words

escalado
escalate
escalation
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Escalate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/escalate. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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Kids Definition

escalate

verb
es·​ca·​late ˈes-kə-ˌlāt How to pronounce escalate (audio)
escalated; escalating
: to increase in extent, volume, or scope : expand
escalate prices
escalation
ˌes-kə-ˈlā-shən How to pronounce escalate (audio)
noun
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