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# escalate

verb (escalate, escalates, escalated, escalating); noun escalation

«escalate» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. To become bigger, worse or more serious, as in «The argument escalated into a fight». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/escalate/#m1)
2. To make something bigger or more serious. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/escalate/#m2)
3. To pass a problem to a more senior person, as in «escalate a complaint». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/escalate/#m3)

### In the lessons

In citizenship, news and conflict lessons: wars and quarrels can escalate; good friends «de-escalate» by calming things down, listening and walking away. In everyday life prices «escalate» (rise fast). In safety lessons, if a problem escalates, tell a trusted adult. Phrase: «escalate into».

### Examples

- The small argument escalated into a shouting match. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/escalate/#x1)
- Prices escalated during the winter. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/escalate/#x2)
- The teacher stepped in before things escalated. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/escalate/#x3)
- The fighting between the two countries escalated. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/escalate/#x4)
- If the problem escalates, tell an adult. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/escalate/#x5)
- Let's calm down so this doesn't escalate. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/escalate/#x6)

### Note

Regular verb. Opposite: «de-escalate». Related to «escalator», the moving stairs that take you up.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «escalate» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/escalate/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«escalate» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/escalate.html) on Mova free.