escalate
verb (used with or without object)
to increase in intensity, magnitude, etc..
was escalating
-
past progressiveof escalate.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
Local resident Maria, 56, told AFP the situation in the city was "escalating."
From Barron's ● Jan. 24, 2026
They had immigrated from Lithuania in 1938, just as the persecution of Jews was escalating in Germany.
From New York Times ● Mar. 21, 2024
By the 1980s, the conflict was escalating into wider war, threatening to pull the United States and Soviet Union into direct conflict.
From Salon ● Feb. 9, 2024
President Zelensky said on 14 November that fighting was escalating near the town but added that Russian forces were losing men and equipment trying to capture it.
From BBC ● Nov. 16, 2023
The internal armed struggle was escalating and they wanted the commander of MK on the scene.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
