escalate
English · Thesaurus
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escalate
- /ˈɛs.kə.leɪt/ UK, US
- /ˈɛs.kjə.leɪt/ nonstandard
Where it comes from
Back-formation from escalator.
verb escalates · escalating · escalated
- To increase (something) in extent or intensity; to intensify or step up. Violence escalated during the election.
- In 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.
- To climb. 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.
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To move by escalator.
Escalator after escalator flowed up to the heights above, […] Dov escalated up beside me, scowling.
Similar: escalator
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: step up, intensify, heighten, heightened, heightening, enhance, increasing, rise, increase, rising, grow, upgrade, amplify, expand, ascend, climb
Translations
Every language
verb to intensify
| 日本語 | エスカレートする esukarēto suru |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 升級 /升级 shēngjí, 升高 shēnggāo |
| Português | intensificar |
| Français | intensifier |
| Deutsch | eskalieren, steigern, verschärfen, sich ausweiten |
| Română | escalada |
| Русский | обостря́ть obostrjátʹ, углубля́ть uglubljátʹ |
| עברית | הִסְלִים hislím |
verb to transfer a telephone caller or problem to the next higher level of authority
| Español | elevar a un nivel superior |
|---|---|
| Português | transferir |
| Français | faire remonter |
| Deutsch | weiterleiten |
Talk about this word "escalate." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/escalate. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. escalate. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/escalate "escalate." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/escalate.Cite this
@misc{escalate_2026,
title = {escalate},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/escalate},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
