escalate
Americanverb
Pronunciation
See percolate.
Other Word Forms
- escalation noun
- escalatory adjective
- nonescalating adjective
- nonescalatory adjective
- reescalate verb
- reescalation noun
Etymology
Origin of escalate
First recorded in 1920–25; back formation from escalator
Explanation
If an argument between you and your brother progresses from mean looks to a fist fight, you could say that the tension between the two of you escalated. To escalate is intensify or increase quickly. When you see this word, picture an escalator that takes you up to the next floor quickly. But remember, there's something you don't like on that higher level because it's usually bad if something escalates. Prices escalate when something becomes scarce, be it a popular toy, a concert ticket, or food during a crisis. And if a war or conflict escalates, it becomes more intense and violent.
Vocabulary lists containing escalate
This Week in Words: September 25 - October 1, 2017
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This Week in Words: October 22 - 27, 2017
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Higher Learning: Synonyms For "Up"
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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.
The newly inaugurated Lyndon Johnson had sky-high support after John F. Kennedy’s assassination, political cover that arguably helped Johnson muscle civil rights legislation through Congress and escalate the Vietnam War.
From Slate • Apr. 26, 2026
China’s role in that mediation remains unclear, other than Beijing advising Iran not to escalate.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 18, 2026
On the same day that the Senate Banking Committee announced the date of his confirmation hearing, federal prosecutors sought to escalate the investigation that threatens to delay his appointment.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026
It continues to escalate, fueled by repeated leaks.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026
That’s when the Space Race began to escalate.
From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson
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.
