MEANING
1. To grow more severe or extensive, or cause something to do so.
2. To refer an issue to someone with greater authority or responsibility.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- escalate tensions
- escalate costs
On the page
The dispute escalated when neither side accepted mediation.
Nearby words
Opposite meanings
Word forms
- Base
- escalate
- Past tense
- escalated
- Past participle
- escalated
- Present participle
- escalating
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- escalate
- Present continuous
- am/is/are escalating
- Present perfect
- have/has escalated
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been escalating
- Past
- escalated
- Past continuous
- was/were escalating
- Past perfect
- had escalated
- Past perfect continuous
- had been escalating
- Future
- will escalate
- Future continuous
- will be escalating
- Future perfect
- will have escalated
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been escalating
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: academic / formal. Forms: escalate; escalates; escalated; escalated; escalating Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: change, causation. Commonness: moderately common. Third-person singular: escalates.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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