escalate
verb /ˈeskəleɪt/
/ˈeskəleɪt/
[intransitive, transitive]Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they escalate | /ˈeskəleɪt/ /ˈeskəleɪt/ |
| he / she / it escalates | /ˈeskəleɪts/ /ˈeskəleɪts/ |
| past simple escalated | /ˈeskəleɪtɪd/ /ˈeskəleɪtɪd/ |
| past participle escalated | /ˈeskəleɪtɪd/ /ˈeskəleɪtɪd/ |
| -ing form escalating | /ˈeskəleɪtɪŋ/ /ˈeskəleɪtɪŋ/ |
- to become greater, worse, more serious, etc.; to make something greater, worse, more serious, etc.
- the escalating costs of healthcare
- escalate into something The fighting escalated into a full-scale war.
- escalate something (into something) We do not want to escalate the war.
Extra Examples- The cost of raw materials has escalated sharply.
- The risks gradually escalate.
- Violence between the two sides has been steadily escalating.
- The conflict could escalate rapidly into a full-scale war.
- a small local disagreement that escalates into civil war
- The budget escalated to £32 million.
Word Origin1920s (in the sense ‘travel on an escalator’): back-formation from escalator.