escalate
[es-kuh-leyt]
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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RELATED WORDS
widen, raise, intensify, mount, rise, heighten, grow, expand, scale, extend, magnify, broaden, ascend, enlarge, climb, amplify
Origin of escalate
First recorded in 1920–25; back formation from escalator
Synonyms for escalate
Antonyms for escalate
Pronunciation note
See percolate.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for escalate
Contemporary Examples of escalate
Given the potential for a cyber tit-for-tat to escalate, Obama has even more incentive to find a diplomatic solution.
It does, and certainly has, helped to escalate the crisis by having this militaristic response to it.
Rory Kennedy on ‘Last Days in Vietnam,’ the Parallels Between Vietnam and Iraq, and FergusonMarlow Stern
September 1, 2014
Washington, in particular, has been loath to do anything that might escalate.
Since Sunday, senior U.S. officials have publicly warned Russia not to escalate the already delicate situation in the Ukraine.
These skirmishes are expected to escalate and could eventually include rocket attacks into nearby Israeli towns.
escalate
verb
Word Origin for escalate
C20: back formation from escalator
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper