1
as in to increase
to become greater in extent, volume, amount, or number
as the war between the two countries escalated, it threatened to become a global conflict
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to accelerate
to make greater in size, amount, or number
the president promised to escalate the government's program to combat the dreaded disease
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of escalate
Just a few hours later, the fighting escalated at Concord’s North Bridge, where American militias pushed back British Regulars.
—
Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 20 Apr. 2025
The letter that escalated tensions between Harvard and the White House may have been sent by accident, according to reports from The New York Times.
—Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Apr. 2025
The order condemns the administration’s position in Abrego Garcia’s case and issues a warning about the consequences of an escalating conflict between the judiciary and executive branches.
—Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 18 Apr. 2025
If the tariffs hold, Apple is widely expected to eventually raise the prices on iPhones and other popular products because the Silicon Valley’s supply chain is so heavily concentrated in China, India and other overseas markets caught in the crossfire of the escalating trade war.
—Time, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for escalate
Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 20 Apr. 2025
The letter that escalated tensions between Harvard and the White House may have been sent by accident, according to reports from The New York Times.
—Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Apr. 2025
The order condemns the administration’s position in Abrego Garcia’s case and issues a warning about the consequences of an escalating conflict between the judiciary and executive branches.
—Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 18 Apr. 2025
If the tariffs hold, Apple is widely expected to eventually raise the prices on iPhones and other popular products because the Silicon Valley’s supply chain is so heavily concentrated in China, India and other overseas markets caught in the crossfire of the escalating trade war.
—Time, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for escalate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for escalate
Verb
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Tesla has increased North American sourcing for parts of many models over the last two years, which would decrease tariff exposure for the E41, two people aware of the matter said.—
Abhirup Roy,
USA Today,
20 Apr. 2025
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Those unused hours can, however, be converted to service credit to increase their government pensions.—
Melody Gutierrez,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2025
Verb
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This topic has been brewing for a while, and was accelerated by the injury conversation.—
Colton Pouncy,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2025
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Even then—before the rest of the world went AI-crazy—the CEO of Google DeepMind had a stark warning about the accelerating pace of AI progress.—
Billy Perrigo,
Time,
27 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Iconic sportswear and footwear giant Adidas said Tuesday that the price of all its products will rise in the U.S. due to President Donald Trump's tariffs.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2025
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But merely knowing that housing today is less affordable than in 1950 tells us little about why home prices have risen.—
Caleb Petitt,
National Review,
29 Apr. 2025
Verb
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For 2024, the list was expanded to 450 companies and looked at their emissions between 2020 and 2022.—
Elizabeth Weise,
USA Today,
22 Apr. 2025
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Then, expand your repertoire and hit the road with the Ceramide Ato Travel Kit, which features a mini version of the cream plus a travel-size Ceramide Ato 6.0 Top to Toe Wash and Ceramide Ato Lotion.—
Annie Blackman,
Allure,
21 Apr. 2025
Verb
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One patient had brain swelling and developed a cyst caused by radiation.—
Frieda Klotz,
Smithsonian Magazine,
25 Apr. 2025
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Almost 4 in 10 Americans said neither party is fighting for people like them, as pessimism for both major parties swells, according to a survey released Friday.—
Filip Timotija,
The Hill,
25 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The most successful implementations use technology to augment human capabilities, providing tools that help people work more efficiently rather than avoiding challenges altogether.—
AJ Bubb,
Forbes.com,
17 Apr. 2025
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Brynjolfsson, in his Daedalus article, suggested changing the tax system to give businesses more incentive to invest in technology that augments labor rather than replaces it.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
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President Trump’s recent ultimatum proposing U.S. recognition of Russia’s annexation of Crimea has intensified the diplomatic divide within Europe, forcing European capitals to choose between Kyiv or Washington.—
Katya Soldak,
Forbes.com,
27 Apr. 2025
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As the pope’s funeral approached, security around the Vatican intensified.—
Alan Yuhas,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2025
Verb
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In 2022, a consortium of private retirement-plan providers announced a collaboration to boost the portability of small retirement accounts.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
20 Apr. 2025
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Software developers will rely on the Switch 2 to boost their game sales, and analysts view the console as a bellwether for the video game industry.—
Dan Bernstein,
Sportico.com,
19 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Escalate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/escalate. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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