escalate
verb (used with or without object)
to increase in intensity, magnitude, etc..
escalated
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past participleof escalate.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
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past tense formof escalate.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
escalateverb (used with or without object)to increase in intensity, magnitude, etc..
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.
On Friday, the back and forth escalated yet again, when the Justice Department warned in a letter to L.A.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
Meanwhile, a tanker was struck off the coast of Qatar, according to United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, while Houthi militants escalated attacks on Saudi Arabia.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
A new study from USC finds that emergency room visits from patients born outside of the U.S. fell by more than 20% in the first four weeks after arrests escalated in June 2025.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 5, 2026
The hours-long stand-off escalated on Monday night as demonstrators decried the sentencing of Kosovo's former president, Hashim Thaci, who was last month sentenced to war crimes committed during the 1990s war for independence against Serbia.
From Barron's ● Oct. 5, 2026
Carrie doesn’t seem to notice this; she’s just giddy that he’s come by, that she didn’t dream the whole IM exchange, that chatting has escalated into speaking...and who knows what will happen next?
From "Every Day" by David Levithan
