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

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

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.
The trip by the Americans follows a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Saturday, as both sides have escalated their aerial attacks. — Samya Kullab, Fortune, 6 Sep. 2026 What began as a lawsuit filed by members of the 2022 recruiting class seeking an additional season of eligibility has now escalated into a legal battle involving five different parties. — Trey Wallace Outkick, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2026 The Justice Department’s antitrust division was briefly instructed to pause cooperation with Canadian authorities this week, as trade tensions continue to escalate between the two countries. — Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2026 The legal fight over eligibility rules that has engulfed college sports escalated Thursday when the SEC filed a federal lawsuit against LSU in Alabama to counter the anticipated ruling for the players in Louisiana. — Ralph D. Russo, New York Times, 5 Sep. 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 7 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gist

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All