escalate

What it means

1. ambitransitiveTo increase (something) in extent or intensity; to intensify or step up.

   Violence escalated during the election.

   4 more examples

   The shooting escalated the existing hostility.

   A small fight escalated into a big fight.

   "Operating the WCML at this intensity makes it challenging to maintain acceptable performance levels, resulting in a frustratingly unreliable service for passengers. Minor disruption can escalate into significant delays because a train running only a few minutes late can miss its slot across a junction, resulting in a snowballing effect across the network."

   2020 May 6, Philip Haigh, “Just one more stop on the long journey to HS2 fulfillment [sic]”, in Rail, page 65

   In another sense, public-health workers have been facing escalating hostility since the early days of the coronavirus pandemic.

   2025 August 9, Keren Landman, “‘I’m Actually Surprised It Didn’t Happen Sooner’”, in The Atlantic

2. transitiveIn technical support, to transfer a customer, a problem, etc. to the next higher level of authority

   The tech 1 escalated the caller to a tech 2.

3. uncommonTo climb.

   They escalated upstairs to the Mall coffee tables.

   1977, Graham Jackson, The Coals of Juniper, Champion Publications, →ISBN, page 48

   5 more examples

   Thus, actually a prior uncounselled misdemeanor conviction may often prove to be a boon to one escalating the ladder of crime to the point where he has been convicted of a major aggravated offense.

   1975, Federal Reporter, page 537

   Firms move to higher and higher levels of conflict in each arena, as if they are escalating up a ladder with each rung representing the new level of competition introduced by the last competitive maneuver.

   1994, Richard A. D’Aveni, Hypercompetition: Managing the Dynamics of Strategic Maneuvering, The Free Press, →ISBN

   James worked through the basics, escalating up the ladder of complex moves.

   2000, Chris R. Jamison, The Chesler Legacy, Writer’s Showcase, →ISBN, page 30

   We were escalating up a few hundred feet into the canyon.

   2002, V. William Barrett, Sticks and Shovels: A Modern Western Mystery, Writers Club Press, →ISBN, page 68

   “Pretty soon, I ended up on the committee, and from there it was pretty much escalating up the ladder as district chair; sponsor chair; and two, two-year terms as ladies state chair,” Sandi says.

   2003, Ducks Unlimited, page 51

In a sentence

Violence escalated during the election.

Where it comes from

Back-formation from escalator.