1
as in increasing
to become greater in extent, volume, amount, or number
as the war between the two countries escalated, it threatened to become a global conflict
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in accelerating
to make greater in size, amount, or number
the president promised to escalate the government's program to combat the dreaded disease
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of escalating
There’s an ever-escalating race for states (and countries) to compete to offer the best value for productions.
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Erik Hayden, HollywoodReporter, 29 Sep. 2025
Heather McMahan, the first tee emcee, reportedly made no attempt to defuse the escalating crowd tension.
—Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025
The series centers on the escalating conflict between two powerful medieval rulers whose personal and political ambitions collide in a struggle that would determine England’s future.
—Jenzia Burgos, StyleCaster, 28 Sep. 2025
Next week, the council is scheduled to consider another increase in steadily escalating water rates.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Sep. 2025
While two men are talking sports, a news segment about an escalating series of earthquakes plays in the background.
—Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 27 Sep. 2025
Police believe the shooter and victim knew each other and that the shooting had been the direct result of an escalating argument.
—Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 26 Sep. 2025
The story becomes less of a character study of the strange ways in which grief manifests and more about the escalating hijinks of a lie that takes on a wild life of its own.
—Lindsey Bahr, Boston Herald, 26 Sep. 2025
Some of his targets have learned through bitter experience that preëmptive appeasement only opens the door to escalating demands.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for escalating
Verb
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Then there are additional fines for selling alcohol illegally to underage individuals, with increasing amounts, based on the number of offenses.—
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An increasing threat of heavy rainfall from this system is forecast over the southern Mid-Atlantic through coastal Georgia which could cause flash, urban, and river flooding into next week.—
Verb
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Climate scientist Johan Rockström, speaking at a science briefing that opened the summit, warned that warming appears to be accelerating.—
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This wave of recognitions will likely increase anti-Israel sentiment globally, accelerating divestments and boycotts.—
Verb
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The water system is in most urgent need of financial help, according to the IBA, largely due to the rising costs of buying water from the San Diego County Water Authority and the lack of regular rate hikes prior to 2023.—
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Many in the state are already weathering crowded emergency rooms, rising air conditioning bills and vanishing opportunities to safely work or play outdoors.—
Verb
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Advocates say governments can enhance housing affordability by expanding housing vouchers and enacting stronger tenant protections.—
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Moving away from YouTube, Yang has his sights set on expanding his talents as a writer, director and storyteller.—
Verb
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The next morning, though, the rains turned relentless, swelling the river near their home, the water rushing faster, faster.—
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Complications from measles include ear infections, hearing loss, pneumonia, croup, diarrhea, blindness, and swelling of the brain, the CDC said.—
Verb
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With leaders at November’s COP30 set to focus on boosting implementation of promises made in the past, experts say companies need to be in the conversation now.—
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The California Legislature recently passed another major bill to spur development in an effort to tame the cost of housing by boosting supply.—
Verb
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For retailers, this evolution is less about replacing human judgment and more about augmenting it with capabilities that can process complexity at a scale and speed humans can't match.—
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That product was built from the ground up around AI and was possible only because of AI, as opposed to augmenting an existing product with AI.—
Cite this Entry
“Escalating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/escalating. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.
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