Synonyms

escalate

American

[es-kuh-leyt] / ˈɛs kəˌleɪt /

verb (used with or without object)

escalated, escalating

to increase in intensity, magnitude, etc..

to escalate a war; a time when prices escalate.

Synonyms:

swell, mount, advance

Antonyms:

fall, decrease, lower
to raise, lower, rise, or descend on or as if on an escalator.

escalate British

/ ˈɛskəˌleɪt /

verb

to increase or be increased in extent, intensity, or magnitude

to escalate a war
prices escalated because of inflation

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Pronunciation

See percolate.

Other Word Forms

escalation noun
escalatory adjective
nonescalating adjective
nonescalatory adjective
reescalate verb
reescalation noun

Etymology

Origin of escalate

First recorded in 1920–25; back formation from escalator

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Several countries have advised their citizens to leave - and as regional tensions escalate, the stakes of the next round of talks feel existential.

From BBC

The reductions escalate a price war with rival Eli Lilly in one of the fastest-growing, most hotly contested categories in pharmaceuticals.

From The Wall Street Journal

Just to top that with a cherry, a recent study found that in war games, AI’s escalated to nuclear options 95% of the time.

From Los Angeles Times

Tiered rewards aim to fix that by escalating benefits.

From Barron's

The “structural momentum” from those sectors is unlikely to slow meaningfully, even in the face of escalating trade tensions.

From MarketWatch

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023