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.

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

An accompanying audit found just more than half of the 145 recorded incidents that should have been escalated to the regulator were not.

From BBC • Jun. 25, 2026

From there, the claims escalated with remarkable speed.

From Salon • Jun. 24, 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

As a result, space was no longer an issue, but other dangers escalated.

From "The Boy on the Wooden Box" by Leon Leyson