escalatory
Americanadjective
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.
“So if anything, the latest moves pointed in an escalatory direction.”
From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026
That high-risk, escalatory strategy is aimed at deterring future attacks on a regime that feels its survival is in acute danger.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026
Their fear - once they were aware of the scale of Iran's plans - was the risk of an escalatory regional war if Israel had no choice but to retaliate hard.
From BBC • Apr. 27, 2024
The comments reflected North Korea’s escalatory nuclear doctrine, which authorizes the military to launch preemptive nuclear strikes against enemies if it perceives the leadership as under threat.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 22, 2024
Every rung on the escalatory ladder may be treated by one side or the other as the beginning or end of hostilities.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2024
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.
