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.
Tehran’s evolving strategy will likely make it harder to reach a durable agreement to end the conflict, and heightens the risk of more-frequent rounds of escalation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
It called the attack “an extremely serious escalation and a violation of Iraq’s sovereignty.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026
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
While countries have expressed disappointment, Cutler said, there are no signs of retaliation, "knowing full well they would risk further US tariff escalation."
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
An escalation of the war between Oxscini and Everica?
From "The Reader" by Traci Chee
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.
