de-escalate

American

[dee-es-kuh-leyt] / diˈɛs kəˌleɪt /

Or deescalate

verb (used with or without object)

de-escalated, de-escalating

to decrease in intensity, magnitude, etc..

to de-escalate a war.

de-escalate British

/ diːˈɛskəˌleɪt /

verb

to reduce the level or intensity of (a crisis, etc)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

de-escalation noun
de-escalatory adjective
deescalation noun
deescalatory adjective

Etymology

Origin of de-escalate

First recorded in 1960–65; de- + escalate

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.

She remained calm and spoke to him in an effort to de-escalate the situation until other family members came into the room and demanded he leave.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026

"The time has come to de-escalate the conflict in Sudan and ensure the protection of civilians, health workers, and humanitarians," he said.

From BBC • Mar. 22, 2026

"I urge parties to de-escalate, exercise maximum restraint & respect international law, including the protection of civilians and civilian objects such as hospitals," he posted on X.

From Barron's • Mar. 17, 2026

When time is critical, the absence of urgency to de-escalate is itself informative.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 17, 2026

In late January, Target signed a joint letter with dozens of other Minnesota-based businesses calling on state, local and federal officials to de-escalate tensions over immigration, but didn’t specifically call the federal actions wrong.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 11, 2026

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023