escalate
verb (used with or without object)
to increase in intensity, magnitude, etc..
escalated
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past participleof escalate.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
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past tense formof escalate.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
escalateverb (used with or without object)to increase in intensity, magnitude, etc..
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.
Kernel, a leading sunflower oil and grain exporter, also halted its operations at Chornomorsk as the Russian attacks escalated.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
The UKRI, which has an annual budget of about £10bn, said it has had to cut the observatory's annual £2.8m budget because planned research costs for physics and the running of its labs had escalated.
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
"That has at least been a part of the calculus of why Mexican cartels have escalated their operations in Africa. That to say though, it is only part of the story," said Griego.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
It comes as tensions have escalated between Washington and Iran, bringing traffic almost to a halt in the Strait of Hormuz and raising the risks of oil supply shortages once again.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
In seconds, the situation escalated into the largest confrontation I’d ever witnessed.
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
