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.
The criminal probe was a significant escalation in the yearslong effort to police serial pollution offenses by Virginia-based Southern Coal and dozens of affiliated mining operations controlled by the family.
From Salon • Jun. 10, 2026
Gold prices slipped in early trading after Israel and Iran halted attacks on each other, easing immediate concerns over regional escalation.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026
The escalation also highlights three points about the current trajectory of the war:
From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026
The escalation could further complicate ongoing negotiations to end the war and reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 7, 2026
Since DDT was released for civilian use, a process of escalation has been going on in which ever more toxic materials must be found.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
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.
