First Known Use: 1944
Dictionary
escalate
verb es·ca·late \ˈes-kə-ˌlāt, ÷-kyə-\
: to become worse or to make (something) worse or more severe
: to become greater or higher or to make (something) greater or higher
es·ca·lat·edes·ca·lat·ing
Full Definition of ESCALATE
intransitive verb
: to increase in extent, volume, number, amount, intensity, or scope <a little war threatens to escalate into a huge ugly one — Arnold Abrams>
transitive verb
: expand 2
— es·ca·la·tion \ˌes-kə-ˈlā-shən, ÷-kyə-\ noun
— es·ca·la·to·ry \ˈes-kə-lə-ˌtȯr-ē, ÷-kyə-\ adjective
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Origin of ESCALATE
back-formation from escalator
Related to ESCALATE
Rhymes with ESCALATE
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