es ‧ ca ‧ late /ˈeskəleɪt/ BrE AmE verb [intransitive and transitive]
[ Date: 1900-2000 ; Origin: escalator ]
1 . if fighting, violence, or a bad situation escalates, or if someone escalates it, it becomes much worse
escalate into
Her fear was escalating into panic.
The fighting on the border is escalating.
We do not want to escalate the war.
2 . to become higher or increase, or to make something do this:
The costs were escalating alarmingly.
policies that escalate their own costs
escalating crime
—escalation /ˌeskəˈleɪʃ ə n/ noun [uncountable and countable] :
the escalation of fighting in June
a rapid escalation in value