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.
Analysts worry the steady ratcheting higher could set off an escalatory spiral.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026
“After the comments last night it feels more likely that things are heading in the escalatory path as opposed to de-escalatory path.”WTI for May delivery is up 11% at $111.17 a barrel.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 3, 2026
"I'm not so hopeful that a technical mechanism will really address the fundamental drivers of this escalatory cycle," he admitted.
From Barron's ● Oct. 25, 2025
Romanians are genuinely anxious about being sucked into the war next door: Russian drones have crashed over the border several times and Putin's escalatory rhetoric is disturbing.
From BBC ● Dec. 10, 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
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.
