escalated 1 of 2

adjective

as in increased
being at a higher level than average for a time there was an escalated interest in the historical figure following the release of the blockbuster biography

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

escalated

2 of 2

verb

past tense of escalate
1
as in rose
to become greater in extent, volume, amount, or number as the war between the two countries escalated, it threatened to become a global conflict

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in accelerated
to make greater in size, amount, or number the president promised to escalate the government's program to combat the dreaded disease

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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 escalated
Verb
The confrontation escalated into a fight that left both tourists injured. — Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026 Since Min Aung Hlaing became president, the military has sharply escalated attacks on civilians, according to ACLED, even as regional governments step up diplomatic engagement. — Lorcan Lovett, NPR, 23 Oct. 2026 That fight escalated when one of the men took out a gun and fired it. — Olivia Young, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026 The president last month escalated the conflict by announcing an outright ban on nearly $1 billion worth of Canadian products, including alcoholic beverages, dairy products and motorcycles. — ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026 The trade dispute escalated after negotiations between the two nations broke down in August. — Chantelle Lee, Time, 20 Oct. 2026 Widespread civil unrest over teacher shortages and economic hardship escalated across France over the weekend as rioters clashed with police and stormed public buildings. — Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 20 Oct. 2026 Businesses hit There is also public anger over claims that police lost control of the situation at the weekend as disorder and looting escalated. — Chloe Taylor,jenni Reid, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2026 Trump escalated his attacks on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. — Alec Dent, Washington Post, 19 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for escalated
  1. increased
  2. rose
  3. accelerated
  4. elevated
  5. swelled
  6. expanded
  7. high
  8. boosted
Adjective
  • Ketamine can cause a slew of other side effects, including delirium, amnesia, increased salivation, abnormal eye movements, high blood pressure and potentially fatal breathing problems.
    — Christopher P. Holstege, The Conversation, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The streamer has faced increased competition of late and slower growth.
    — Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of increased
Verb
  • During Lula's first two terms in office, from 2003 to 2010, Brazil's economy boomed, and millions of Brazilians rose out of poverty.
    — Catherine Osborn, NPR, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Was the last petal from the enchanted rose about to fall, this beauty of a season due to turn ugly?
    — Mirjam Swanson, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of rose
Verb
  • The vehicle then accelerated forward, and Foster moved directly in front of it with his gun drawn.
    — Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2026
  • The focus on fraud has noticeably accelerated in the weeks leading up to the election.
    — Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of accelerated
Adjective
  • The blowout news from SpaceX’s Q3 earnings wasn’t the rocket and AI giant’s outstanding performance that far exceeded even the analysts’ elevated expectations, but Elon Musk’s revelation that SpaceX and Tesla are weighing a merger.
    — Shawn Tully, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Analysts attributed elevated gas prices to ongoing fighting in the Middle East, which has damaged oil infrastructure and forced firms to take up costly means of transporting crude.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of elevated
Verb
  • The ranks of the protesters have also swelled to include some more opportunistic looters and agitators.
    — Caitlin Dewey, Vox, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Piper Sandler’s annual teen survey — polling 9,000 teens across 47 states — shows overall beauty spend swelled 7 percent this year, with growth across all key categories, including cosmetics, skin care, hair and fragrance.
    — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of swelled
Verb
  • But the lead quickly expanded in the second half, thanks to a 15-0 run by Charlotte, which lasted nearly three minutes and was capped off by Allen’s three-pointer.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Development began in the 1970s, and the system became operational for military use before civilian access expanded.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of expanded
Adjective
  • The View From Midland Despite the year’s geopolitical turmoil, there’s a newfound sense of economic stability in Midland that, for the first time in the city’s history, doesn’t seem to depend on sustained high oil prices.
    — Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Another was that lower government spending for public health programs was leading to higher costs for private sector plans.
    — Alana Semuels, Time, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of high
Verb
  • Swedish defense giant Saab reported better-than-expected third-quarter earnings and revenue on Friday, as new orders more than tripled from a year earlier, boosted by a deal to supply Gripen fighter jets to Ukraine.
    — Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Behind-the-scenes engineering modifications over the last year have boosted not only the attraction’s reliability, but allowed its capacity to increase by about 125 people per hour.
    — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of boosted

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Cite this Entry

“Escalated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/escalated. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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