escalation
CulturalExplanation
An escalation is an increase or growth. When there's an escalation in tension between two countries, it means that things have become much more strained between them. An escalation in Christmas tree prices means that your holiday decor will be more expensive this year, and an escalation of violence in a particular country will probably keep you from traveling there until things calm down. When something gets bigger or more intense, there's an escalation. The word comes from the verb escalate, which in turn is a back-formation from escalator. The Latin root of all three words is scala, or "ladder."
Vocabulary lists containing escalation
The Vocabulary of Soviet-Era Nostalgia & Cold War Spy Words
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for August 7–August 13, 2021
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STAAR U.S. History 4
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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.
When asked if he had ruled out escalation, Waltz responded: “I wouldn’t go that far at all. The president is keeping all options on the table.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
Vice President JD Vance and top US general Dan Caine both raised concerns about escalation at a White House meeting on Friday, CNN reported.
From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 2026
This makes escalation more likely, Sheline said, which could result in attacks on infrastructure like desalination plants, which serve as a necessary water supply for parts of Iran, as well as the Gulf countries.
From Salon ● Jul. 23, 2026
The Houthi announcement of a blockade should be treated as “a credible escalation, not routine rhetoric,” maritime risk company Marisks said in a note to clients on Monday, seen by The Wall Street Journal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
It was just an escalation of her madness.
From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
