de-escalate

or de·es·ca·late

[dee-es-kuh-leyt]

See more synonyms for de-escalate on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with or without object), de-es·ca·lat·ed, de-es·ca·lat·ing.

to decrease in intensity, magnitude, etc.: to de-escalate a war.

Origin of de-escalate

First recorded in 1960–65; de- + escalate

Related formsde-es·ca·la·tion, de·es·ca·la·tion, nounde-es·ca·la·to·ry, de·es·ca·la·to·ry

[dee-es-kuh-luh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee] /diˈɛs kə ləˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i/, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for deescalation

cease-fire, reconciliation, accord, reprieve, pause, peace, agreement, moratorium, lull, suspension, amnesty, armistice, detente, demobilization, demilitarization, terms, halt, breather, intermission, interval

British Dictionary definitions for deescalation

de-escalate

verb

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

Derived Formsde-escalation, noun

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

Word Origin and History for deescalation

de-escalate

also deescalate, 1964, from de- + escalate. Related: De-escalated; de-escalating; de-escalation.