1
as in increases
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 accelerates
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of escalates
Every scene escalates, every beat matters.
—
Zac Ntim, Deadline, 4 Feb. 2026
Less than thirty seconds before Pretti is shot, the clash between immigration agents and the observers escalates.
—Yahya Abou-Ghazala, CNN Money, 30 Jan. 2026
Lawyers for the plaintiffs said the new policy eliminated a guardrail designed to protect people’s rights as ICE escalates enforcement operations in numerous states including Minnesota with aggressive tactics that several judges had ruled unlawful.
—Reuters, NBC news, 30 Jan. 2026
Trump’s move escalates the year-long battle between the White House and California over disaster and water management, as well as local permitting rules.
—Monica Garske, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026
The oversharing Cynthia immediately passes this information on to her daughter, leading to a meet-cute in the laundry room that quickly escalates into Mary becoming, well, alien pregnant.
—Katie Rife, IndieWire, 24 Jan. 2026
For some Texans, that stress escalates after a vehicle is repossessed — followed by intimidating notices warning that wages could be garnished to collect the remaining balance.
—Marley Malenfant, Austin American Statesman, 21 Jan. 2026
The difference is that when conflict escalates, their nervous system shifts into protection mode.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
After a man appears to resist, the situation escalates as several agents tackle him and place him in handcuffs.
—Sophia Compton, FOXNews.com, 12 Jan. 2026
Zac Ntim, Deadline, 4 Feb. 2026
Less than thirty seconds before Pretti is shot, the clash between immigration agents and the observers escalates.
—Yahya Abou-Ghazala, CNN Money, 30 Jan. 2026
Lawyers for the plaintiffs said the new policy eliminated a guardrail designed to protect people’s rights as ICE escalates enforcement operations in numerous states including Minnesota with aggressive tactics that several judges had ruled unlawful.
—Reuters, NBC news, 30 Jan. 2026
Trump’s move escalates the year-long battle between the White House and California over disaster and water management, as well as local permitting rules.
—Monica Garske, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026
The oversharing Cynthia immediately passes this information on to her daughter, leading to a meet-cute in the laundry room that quickly escalates into Mary becoming, well, alien pregnant.
—Katie Rife, IndieWire, 24 Jan. 2026
For some Texans, that stress escalates after a vehicle is repossessed — followed by intimidating notices warning that wages could be garnished to collect the remaining balance.
—Marley Malenfant, Austin American Statesman, 21 Jan. 2026
The difference is that when conflict escalates, their nervous system shifts into protection mode.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
After a man appears to resist, the situation escalates as several agents tackle him and place him in handcuffs.
—Sophia Compton, FOXNews.com, 12 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for escalates
Verb
-
Replacing your roof not only improves safety and performance, but also boosts curb appeal and increases your home’s value.—
TIMEPROOF USA Roofing Company,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Taking ownership removes friction and increases follow-through.—
Brian Page,
CNBC,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Once average winter temperatures hit minus-8 degrees Celsius (17 Fahrenheit), snow loss accelerates rapidly even with modest increases in warming, the researchers found.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Built for flexible, decentralized power generation, the plants are designed to support renewable energy as the transition accelerates.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Try it again on the next block, and this time a suspicious-looking mushroom rises from within and chases you, a symbol for transformation that the designers hoped would be globally recognizable.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Caterpillar, which celebrated its 100th anniversary last year, is still fundamentally a cyclical business that rises and falls with the global economy.—
Sheryl Estrada,
Fortune,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
When one soul speaks its truth, the frequency of truth expands through the collective.—
Payton Turkeltaub,
Variety,
13 Feb. 2026
-
As the temperature drops, the water freezes and expands, causing the pavement to rise.—
Katie Wiseman,
IndyStar,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
No matter the chapter, no matter the group, in London everything swells together like a great Brazilian monochromatic gumbo.—
Theo Lloyd-Hughes,
New York Times,
1 Feb. 2026
-
There will be large waves and swells along the entire stretch from New England to the Carolinas.—
Terry Eliasen,
CBS News,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Dozens of towns and cities will see a windfall in federal funding whether for fire house renovations, police training, boosts for museums or transportation projects.—
Lisa Hagen,
Hartford Courant,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Replacing your roof not only improves safety and performance, but also boosts curb appeal and increases your home’s value.—
TIMEPROOF USA Roofing Company,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Nigerian energy companies have ramped up oil production over the past year as the government intensifies its efforts to restart dormant refineries and monetize untapped gas reserves.—
Alexander Onukwue,
semafor.com,
9 Feb. 2026
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When temperatures drop below 32 degrees after dark, the city activates enhanced Code Blue, which intensifies outreach and relaxes shelter rules to bring more people indoors.—
Jeffrey Ginsburg,
New York Daily News,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
This is the first of a new type of rideshare program flying to that orbit that augments SpaceX’s Transporter program that flies to SSO.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 Feb. 2026
-
His uniquely disarming sense of humor augments—and sometimes masks—the complexity of his taste and technical ability.—
Dash Lewis,
Pitchfork,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Escalates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/escalates. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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