ESCALATE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does escalate mean? 

• ESCALATE (verb)
  The verb ESCALATE has 1 sense:

1. increase in extent or intensity

  Familiarity information: ESCALATE used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ESCALATE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they escalate    ... he / she / it escalates   
Past simple: escalated   
Past participle: escalated   
-ing form: escalating   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Increase in extent or intensity

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

escalate; intensify; step up

Context example:

The Allies escalated the bombing

Hypernyms (to "escalate" is one way to...):

increase (make bigger or more)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "escalate"):

redouble (double in magnitude, extent, or intensity)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Antonym:

de-escalate (reduce the level or intensity or size or scope of)

Derivation:

escalation (an increase to counteract a perceived discrepancy)

 Context examples 

The study lends support to climate model projections that show the rate of sea level rise escalating over time as the climate warms.

(Volcanic eruption masked acceleration in sea level rise, NSF)

In the escalating arms race, one particular type of bacteria known as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus – MRSA – has developed widespread resistance to this class of drugs.

(Widely-available antibiotics could be used in the treatment of ‘superbug’ MRSA, University of Cambridge)

A Phase I trial can be to establish the toxicity of a new treatment with escalating intensity of the treatment administered and/or to determine the side effects of a new treatment for a particular indication in subjects.

(phase I trial, NCI Thesaurus)

EXAMPLE(S): randomization, direct assignment based on eligibility criteria, etc. For escalating dose cohort studies, enroll subjects in successive arms, i.e., one arm is completely filled before any subjects are enrolled in the next arm.

(Defined Experimental Unit Allocation, NCI Thesaurus/BRIDG)

Inducing a potent analgesia, the use of diamoprhine is often escalated due to a tolerance effect, resulting in abuse that is associated with fatal overdose, abortion, venous sclerosis, and opportunistic infections, among other adverse effects.

(Diacetylmorphine Hydrochloride, NCI Thesaurus)