escalate
verb/ˈeskəleɪt/
/ˈeskəleɪt/
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/ |
- [intransitive, transitive] 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.
- [transitive] escalate something to involve a more senior person in dealing with a problem or complaint
- If I don't get a satisfactory outcome, I'm going to have to escalate this issue.
Word Origin1920s (in the sense ‘travel on an escalator’): back-formation from escalator.
Check pronunciation:
escalate