Escalate Meaning
/ˈɛs.kə.leɪt/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
verbTo increase (something) in extent or intensity; to intensify or step up.
verbIn technical support, to transfer a customer, a problem, etc. to the next higher level of authority
Sentence Examples
The White House worries that the crisis could escalate.
Don't allow it to escalate.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
The conflict between the two countries began to ____ into a full-scale war.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
We must act quickly to prevent the small dispute from starting to ____.
Word Origin & History
Back-formation from escalator.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
""Operating the WCML at this intensity makes it challenging to maintain acceptable performance levels, resulting in a frustratingly unreliable service for passengers. Minor disruption can escalate into significant delays because a train running only a few minutes late can miss its slot across a junction, resulting in a snowballing effect across the network.""
— 2020 May 6, Philip Haigh, “Just one more stop on the long journey to HS2 fulfillment [sic]”, in Rail, page 65:
"In another sense, public-health workers have been facing escalating hostility since the early days of the coronavirus pandemic."
— 2025 August 9, Keren Landman, “‘I’m Actually Surprised It Didn’t Happen Sooner’”, in The Atlantic:
"Thus, actually a prior uncounselled misdemeanor conviction may often prove to be a boon to one escalating the ladder of crime to the point where he has been convicted of a major aggravated offense."
— 1975, Federal Reporter, page 537:
"They escalated upstairs to the Mall coffee tables."
— 1977, Graham Jackson, The Coals of Juniper, Champion Publications, →ISBN, page 48:
"Firms move to higher and higher levels of conflict in each arena, as if they are escalating up a ladder with each rung representing the new level of competition introduced by the last competitive maneuver."
— 1994, Richard A. D’Aveni, Hypercompetition: Managing the Dynamics of Strategic Maneuvering, The Free Press, →ISBN:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The conflict between the two countries began to ____ into a full-scale war.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
We must act quickly to prevent the small dispute from starting to ____.