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
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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.
Escalations in the trade war between China and the U.S. this month have added fuel to forecasts for slowing economic growth in the world’s two largest economies and therefore weaker oil demand.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 16, 2025
Escalations into a full-scale strike would see a wider-ranging impact on output.
From Reuters • Sep. 8, 2023
Escalations by both sides have further dimmed peace prospects in the conflict that enters its seventh year in March.
From Reuters • Jan. 25, 2022
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.
