escalate
verb
es·ca·late
ˈe-skə-ˌlāt 
nonstandard
-skyə-
escalated; escalating
: to increase in extent, volume, number, amount, intensity, or scope
… a little war threatens to escalate into a huge ugly one …—
Mike Mansfield
Mike MansfieldExamples of escalate in a Sentence
The conflict has escalated into an all-out war.
a time of escalating tensions
We are trying not to escalate the violence.
Salaries of leading executives have continued to escalate.
The cold weather has escalated fuel prices.
Recent Examples on the Web
Exports of cognac, the French industry’s flagship spirit, plunged 15% in volume and 24% in value, becoming one of the biggest casualties of escalating trade tensions.
—Reuters 9 Hr Ago, CNN Money, 11 Feb. 2026
Charlotte forwards Miles Bridges and Moussa Diabaté were each suspended four games for fighting and escalating the altercation.
—Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Authorities said Lozano-Pinon denied the allegations, and the argument escalated until Velado-Contreras shot him once in the chest.
—Christa Swanson, CBS News, 11 Feb. 2026
The victim was stabbed multiple times in the back as the quarrel escalated, police said.
—Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for escalate
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Reuters 9 Hr Ago, CNN Money, 11 Feb. 2026
Charlotte forwards Miles Bridges and Moussa Diabaté were each suspended four games for fighting and escalating the altercation.
—Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Authorities said Lozano-Pinon denied the allegations, and the argument escalated until Velado-Contreras shot him once in the chest.
—Christa Swanson, CBS News, 11 Feb. 2026
The victim was stabbed multiple times in the back as the quarrel escalated, police said.
—Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for escalate
Cite this Entry
“Escalate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/escalate. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
escalate
verb
es·ca·late
ˈes-kə-ˌlāt
escalated; escalating
: to increase in extent, volume, or scope : expand
escalate prices
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
