escalate

Verb

Verb Forms: escalated, escalating, escalates

To increase rapidly in intensity or magnitude.
increase in extent or intensity
- "The Allies escalated the bombing"
To increase (something) in extent or intensity; to intensify or step up.
In technical support, to transfer a customer, a problem, etc. to the next higher level of authority
To climb.
To move by escalator.

Examples

A small fight escalated into a big fight.
The shooting escalated the existing hostility.
The tech 1 escalated the caller to a tech 2.
The tension began to ESCALATE as both players vied for the final triple-word score.
Violence escalated during the election.

Origin / Etymology

Back-formation from escalator.

Synonyms

intensify, step up, escalator#Verb

Antonyms

de-escalate

Scrabble Score: 10

escalate: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
escalate: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
escalate: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 12

escalate: valid Words With Friends Word