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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of escalate
The woman is seen pouring what appears to be hot sauce over Martinez's food before the confrontation quickly escalates.
—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
25 June 2026
Violations for improperly using fireworks are a Class C Misdemeanor with fines up to $200, escalating to a Class B Misdemeanor with fines up to $2,000 or 180 days in jail if property damage tops $200 or someone is injured, per the Tarrant County Fire Marshal’s Office.
—
Ella Gonzales,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
25 June 2026
The game started steady then escalated with three back-to-back goals in the final 15 minutes.
—
Marlene Lenthang,
NBC news,
25 June 2026
Employers who provide health insurance for most working-age Americans are dealing with escalating costs.
—
Ken Alltucker,
USA Today,
25 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for escalate
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
25 June 2026
Violations for improperly using fireworks are a Class C Misdemeanor with fines up to $200, escalating to a Class B Misdemeanor with fines up to $2,000 or 180 days in jail if property damage tops $200 or someone is injured, per the Tarrant County Fire Marshal’s Office.
—
Ella Gonzales,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
25 June 2026
The game started steady then escalated with three back-to-back goals in the final 15 minutes.
—
Marlene Lenthang,
NBC news,
25 June 2026
Employers who provide health insurance for most working-age Americans are dealing with escalating costs.
—
Ken Alltucker,
USA Today,
25 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for escalate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for escalate
Verb
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The rent on our apartment has increased by about 70% over the past six years.
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Angels reliever Ryan Zeferjahn (4-3) struck out two in a scoreless seventh to earn the win and increase his hitless streak to 10 innings, with 19 strikeouts, over his last nine appearances.
Verb
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Co-founder and tour guide Hannah Michelle Brower says the tour will be a historical journey exploring passenger pigeons and the Lenape people, as well as looking at how the arrival of European colonizers accelerated commercial exploitation and ultimately contributed to the extinction of the bird.
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Over time, this can increase electrical resistance, generate excess heat, and accelerate battery degradation.
Verb
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Roki Sasaki’s abysmal appearance faded away in the Dodgers’ 12-7 win over the San Diego Padres on Thursday night, but only after the National League West leaders rose from a catatonic first inning.
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The rising death toll comes as criticism of the government’s response continues to intensify.
Verb
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Love’s Travel Stops just expanded its service offerings for RVs, including light maintenance, battery replacement and tire replacement.
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California's new personal finance graduation requirement The lessons come as California prepares to expand financial education statewide.
Verb
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This kind of abuse — and the swelling cost of cyberscams to victims around the world — has led to periodic crackdowns.
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Short sessions may help with lower-extremity swelling in otherwise healthy people, and MD Anderson Cancer Center has pointed to low-intensity vibration as potentially useful for cancer patients maintaining bone and muscle health.
Verb
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About 100 shots in the film were augmented with AI, Erwin said, using a combination of platforms that aggregate AI tools such as Luma, Amazon’s Project Nara and Magnific.
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Returns from European or Asian equities, when translated back into dollars, receive a currency tailwind that can meaningfully augment local-currency performance.
Verb
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Trump has taken an active role to boost the $TRUMP meme coin, a type of cryptocurrency.
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But boosting manufacturing is not just a matter of building factories.
Verb
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But the data center boom has raised many questions about land use, the resources the complexes consume and the risk of costs being spread to other Georgia residents and businesses.
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Gonzales ran with a platform decisively to the left, supporting Medicare-for-all, raising the minimum wage and cracking down on junk fees.
Cite this Entry
“Escalate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/escalate. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.
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