escalate

[ es-kuh-leyt ]
/ ˈɛs kəˌleɪt /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR escalate ON THESAURUS.COM

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

to increase in intensity, magnitude, etc.: to escalate a war; a time when prices escalate.
to raise, lower, rise, or descend on or as if on an escalator.

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decorum
the act of or need for making up one's mind.
dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.
a company of singers, especially an organized group employed in church service.
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Origin of escalate

First recorded in 1920–25; back formation from escalator

pronunciation note for escalate

See percolate.

OTHER WORDS FROM escalate

Words nearby escalate

esc., escabeche, escadrille, escadrille américaine, escalade, escalate, escalation, escalator, escalator clause, escallonia, escallop
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to escalate

widen, raise, intensify, mount, rise, heighten, grow, expand, scale, extend, magnify, broaden, ascend, enlarge, climb, amplify

Example sentences from the Web for escalate

British Dictionary definitions for escalate

escalate
/ (ˈɛskəˌleɪt) /

verb

to increase or be increased in extent, intensity, or magnitudeto escalate a war; prices escalated because of inflation

Derived forms of escalate

escalation, noun

Word Origin for escalate

C20: back formation from escalator
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