as in expansion
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Recent Examples of escalation
Without Danish consent, landing there risked a diplomatic crisis and potentially an escalation with Germany.
—
Cathie Anderson, Sacbee.com, 10 Feb. 2026
The alternative is coherence—an operating model where independent actors, human and digital, can act intelligently without constant escalation because the destination and constraints are clear, and information moves quickly enough for local decision-making to be good enough.
—Amy Eliza Wong, Fortune, 9 Feb. 2026
Carlson’s insistence that unrest in cities is the cause rather than the consequence of escalation absolves decision-makers of responsibility for that collapse — and provides a moral rationale for expanding force.
—Robert Pape, Chicago Tribune, 8 Feb. 2026
Most supervisors acknowledged that a local ordinance is unlikely to deter ICE, referencing the agency's escalation of detentions in Minnesota that have drawn widespread protests and led to the fatal shooting of two protesters by federal agents.
—Claudia Levens, jsonline.com, 6 Feb. 2026
Ideas expressed in the piece The video depicting the Obamas as apes is racist and represents a deliberate escalation in assaults on voting rights and electoral access, not merely an offensive meme that should be dismissed as a momentary controversy.
—Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
For Abercrombie & Fitch, fraud often exploits early refund programs and customer service escalation, according to Rob Sondergaard, the apparel retailer’s senior director of returns, fraud and abuse.
—Peter Sadera, Sourcing Journal, 6 Feb. 2026
In a notable escalation, Starmer has called on Andrew to testify in front of Congress over his links to Epstein, and other lawmakers are also demanding that the royal answer serious questions.
—Time, 6 Feb. 2026
The move in Virginia serves as the latest escalation of a feud between Republicans and Democrats ahead of an election rife with the historical precedent that the incumbent president's party tends to lose House seats in the midterms.
—Hunter Woodall, CBS News, 6 Feb. 2026
Cathie Anderson, Sacbee.com, 10 Feb. 2026
The alternative is coherence—an operating model where independent actors, human and digital, can act intelligently without constant escalation because the destination and constraints are clear, and information moves quickly enough for local decision-making to be good enough.
—Amy Eliza Wong, Fortune, 9 Feb. 2026
Carlson’s insistence that unrest in cities is the cause rather than the consequence of escalation absolves decision-makers of responsibility for that collapse — and provides a moral rationale for expanding force.
—Robert Pape, Chicago Tribune, 8 Feb. 2026
Most supervisors acknowledged that a local ordinance is unlikely to deter ICE, referencing the agency's escalation of detentions in Minnesota that have drawn widespread protests and led to the fatal shooting of two protesters by federal agents.
—Claudia Levens, jsonline.com, 6 Feb. 2026
Ideas expressed in the piece The video depicting the Obamas as apes is racist and represents a deliberate escalation in assaults on voting rights and electoral access, not merely an offensive meme that should be dismissed as a momentary controversy.
—Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
For Abercrombie & Fitch, fraud often exploits early refund programs and customer service escalation, according to Rob Sondergaard, the apparel retailer’s senior director of returns, fraud and abuse.
—Peter Sadera, Sourcing Journal, 6 Feb. 2026
In a notable escalation, Starmer has called on Andrew to testify in front of Congress over his links to Epstein, and other lawmakers are also demanding that the royal answer serious questions.
—Time, 6 Feb. 2026
The move in Virginia serves as the latest escalation of a feud between Republicans and Democrats ahead of an election rife with the historical precedent that the incumbent president's party tends to lose House seats in the midterms.
—Hunter Woodall, CBS News, 6 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for escalation
Noun
-
While political leaders on both sides of the aisle often tout the benefits of energy expansion, their support tends to fade when local considerations come into play.—
John Moritz,
Hartford Courant,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Heirs had raised $750 million from the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) in December to finance the expansion of its own oil producing facility to 100,000 barrels per day within five years, more than doubling the asset’s capacity when it was bought from Shell in 2021.—
Alexander Onukwue,
semafor.com,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The other major issue is the economy and inflation.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2026
-
And inflation, while still sticky, has remained stable in recent months.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Despite the program’s growth, FRAP is struggling to offer services in all of Oklahoma’s 77 counties, as the law intended.—
Raynee Howell,
Oklahoma Watch,
9 Feb. 2026
-
The unit reported 20 quarters of comparable sales growth under his leadership.—
Alexander Coolidge,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Membership without full rights on the first day of accession is nothing new - most countries from the 2004 enlargement and later faced long transition periods to achieve, for example, the right of their citizens to work across the bloc.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
16 Jan. 2026
-
The leadership development system can be integrated with other interventions, such as succession planning, work with an external coach, recognition, and job enlargement, to name a few.—
Scott J. Allen,
Big Think,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Here, the joyous and the boisterous contrast the dark and insidious, allowing viewers to both be delighted by colorful street scenes and celebrations while the rot of fear creeps in, as the details surrounding our main character (Wagner Moura) and his predicament are revealed.—
Megan Spurrell,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Feb. 2026
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Some older creep takes you aside and teaches you how to manipulate your girlfriends like a narcissistic abuse apprenticeship program?—
Kathleen Walsh,
Vulture,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Verification trails amplification, meaning accurate reports often arrive after the audience has already formed a first impression.—
Charles Edward Gehrke,
Fortune,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Across each format, the unifying goal is amplification rather than commentary.—
Connie Etemadi,
USA Today,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Difficulty in breathing, weakness of other muscles, abdominal distension, and constipation may also be common symptoms.—
Meghan Overdeep,
Southern Living,
21 Jan. 2026
-
This produces gases like hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and methane, which can cause abdominal pain, bloating, distension, and diarrhea.18 Several methods can reduce compounds that cause gastrointestinal discomfort.—
Merve Ceylan,
Health,
12 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
There's no exact cause known for the rise in cancers among young people, according to experts, but researchers are trying to figure it out.—
Alyssa Goldberg,
USA Today,
12 Feb. 2026
-
Over the same period, corporate profits, or the leftover cash used to grow a business or pay owners, have been on the rise, reaching nearly 12% of the share of gross domestic income in the third quarter, up from 6%.—
Jake Angelo,
Fortune,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Escalation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/escalation. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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