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.
The latest spiral of escalation has brought the civilian death toll in Ukraine to the highest since the war's first months in 2022, according to the United Nations.
From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026
"Our focus right now is on avoiding escalation, reopening the strait and reopening the door for diplomacy between the parties," he added.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
Barring a deal between the U.S. and Iran or a major escalation of the conflict, Goldman analysts expect Brent to trade between $80 and $90 a barrel.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
He again calls off the military escalation he threatened, with little detail disclosed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026
This is when Robert McNamara broke with the policy of open-ended escalation.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
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.
