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escalate

[ es-kuh-leyt ]
/ ˈɛs kəˌleɪt /
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See synonyms for: escalate / escalated / escalating / escalation 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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Origin of escalate

First recorded in 1920–25; back formation from escalator

how to pronounce escalate

See percolate.

OTHER WORDS FROM escalate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use escalate in a sentence

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
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