escalate

verb

ˈe-skə-ˌlāt How to pronounce escalate (audio)
Definition of escalatenext
1
as in to increase
to become greater in extent, volume, amount, or number as the war between the two countries escalated, it threatened to become a global conflict

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 escalate With wars still raging in the Middle East and Ukraine — and turbulence escalating globally — artists on the film festival circuit have been navigating political minefields. — Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 28 Aug. 2026 But the dispute quickly escalated into a reputational crisis for the biennale, with artists from Taiwan and China condemning the name change as a betrayal of its founding ideals. — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 28 Aug. 2026 The name change, which Ontario Premier Doug Ford had dismissed as rhetoric when it was first suggested, comes amid an escalating trade war with Canada. — Innisfree McKinnon, The Conversation, 28 Aug. 2026 Friday’s Security Council briefing on the escalating violence was convened at the request of Panama, Colombia and the United States. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for escalate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for escalate
  1. increase
  2. accelerate
  3. rise
  4. expand
  5. swell
  6. augment
  7. boost
  8. raise
Verb
  • There are also increasing concerns that the Russia-Ukraine war could escalate, amid reports that CIA chief John Ratcliffe have made a secretive Moscow trip to warn Russia against attacking NATO.
    — Justina Lee, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Friday starts dry in the Twin Cities with clouds and temperatures increasing through the afternoon.
    — Joseph Dames, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of increase
Verb
  • However, with multiple suppliers accelerating expansion, the eventual release of new capacity has raised fears of an inflection point in chip prices, which could threaten current high margins.
    — , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • But no one has generated that feeling more than Mahomes, starting with some jaw-dropping throws in his first NFL start in the 2017 regular-season finale and accelerating with his true debut in 2018 with 10 touchdown passes in the first two games.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of accelerate
Verb
  • But rising bond yields make safer government debt more attractive relative to stocks, while also reducing the present value investors assign to companies’ future earnings.
    — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026
  • At the same time, waste is still piling up and resale’s environmental footprint is rising.
    — Bella Webb, Vogue, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of rise
Verb
  • Japan’s Inpex, for example, formed a joint venture to expand its LNG investment in Australia’s Northern Territory.
    — Katie Silver, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026
  • While most of its stores are in mainland China, the company had 4,378 stores overseas as of end-June and has been expanding into new markets, including central Asia and the Americas.
    — Jenny Lee, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of expand
Verb
  • Each morning at the crack of dawn, in one of the great Instagram moments of our time, 165 enormous balloons begin to swell in Cappadocia's half-light, their burners briefly illuminating the valley floor.
    — Scott Campbell, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Sep. 2026
  • But the administration, led by Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg, has pushed ahead, recruiting bankers to help wield a loan authority that has swelled from $1 billion to $200 billion thanks to the recent Republican party-line tax bill.
    — Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of swell
Verb
  • In future windows, a younger, faster centre-back feels required to augment an ageing cohort, with Burn and Fabian Schar both 34 and only Malick Thiaw possessing much pace.
    — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Every solution is designed to augment human expertise rather than replace it, ensuring AI strengthens decision-making while maintaining accountability, transparency, and trust.
    — Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of augment
Verb
  • Chaparral boosts logistics Recently, Elroy Air expanded the capabilities of its autonomous Chaparral cargo aircraft with three unattended delivery modes developed for the US Army.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2026
  • But this has failed to boost the country's key stock benchmarks, which have been among the worst-performing major indexes globally.
    — Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of boost
Verb
  • The college apologized for concerns raised by the comments, and later Monday, EMCC announced Rice’s promotion.
    — Ira Gorawara, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The mere possibility of losing its critical space assets in a surprise attack could push the United States to use its forces early or to delegate launch authority in ways that raise the risk of an accident, to avoid the devastating consequences.
    — Jeffrey Lewis, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of raise

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Cite this Entry

“Escalate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/escalate. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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