/ English Dictionary |
ESCALATE
Pronunciation (US): | (GB): |
I. (verb)
Verb forms
Present simple: I / you / we / they escalate ... he / she / it escalates
Past simple: escalated
-ing form: escalating
Sense 1
Meaning:
Increase in extent or intensity
Example:
The Allies escalated the bombing
Synonyms:
Classified under:
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.
Hypernyms (to "escalate" is one way to...):
increase (make bigger or more)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "escalate"):
redouble (double in magnitude, extent, or intensity)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
Antonym:
de-escalate (reduce the level or intensity or size or scope of)
Derivation:
escalation (an increase to counteract a perceived discrepancy)