escalate
ES-kuh-layt
/ˈes.kə.leɪt/
To increase rapidly in intensity, magnitude, or scope.
Often implies a step-by-step increase, like moving up a ladder or stairs.
The story behind the word. Surprisingly, 'escalate' is a relatively new word. It was back-formed in the early 20th century from the brand name 'Escalator'. Just as the moving staircase carries people up, the verb was adopted to describe situations that move 'up' to a higher level of danger or intensity.
Word relationships
- intensify: Intensify focuses on the strength of the feeling or action, while escalate focuses on the scale or level of the situation.
- de-escalate: Specifically used to describe reducing the intensity of a conflict.
Commonly confused with
- elevate: Elevate means to lift something up physically or in status; escalate means to increase in intensity or severity.
Word family
- escalation (noun): An increase in the intensity or seriousness of something.
Collocations
- escalate the conflict
- escalate rapidly
- escalate the situation
Example sentences
- "The minor border skirmish threatened to escalate into a full-scale war between the neighboring nations." Conflict reporting
- "If the representative cannot solve your issue, they will escalate the call to a manager." Customer service
Memory hook
Think of an 'escalator' going up; a conflict that escalates is moving up to the next level. Escalate: Ride the escalator up.
When not to use
Avoid using it for simple growth; it usually implies a tension-filled or problematic increase.
Fun facts
- The word 'escalator' was a trademark of the Otis Elevator Company until 1950, when it became a generic term.
Explore more words
de-escalate, step up, incremental, accelerate, gradual, advance
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.