escalated

VERB

increase, be increased

Synonyms

STRONGEST

expand grow heighten intensify mount raise rise step up widen

STRONG

amplify ascend broaden climb enlarge extend magnify scale

WEAK

make worse

Antonyms

STRONGEST

decline decrease diminish drop fall halt lessen lower reduce slow slump stop

STRONG

abridge compress condense contract curtail descend go down shorten shrink

WEAK

weaken

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Meanwhile, racism and discrimination must be treated as a critical safety issue, the inquiry found, requiring urgent intervention including gathering granular data on unequal outcomes that is escalated to board level when patterns emerge.

From BBC • Jun. 29, 2026

According to the petition, the fight escalated, and Will Robinson phoned the police while Sandoval hid inside a spare bedroom.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 26, 2026

That fight exploded in January over who gets to limit applications of AI in combat and surveillance, and escalated over the weekend.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 19, 2026

But per a June 4 memorandum, Costco escalated the matter by filing a motion to dismiss the lawsuit.

From Salon • Jun. 17, 2026

The fracas escalated, and Bobby was told that a replacement player would take his place if he refused to play.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady