escalate - Dictionary definition and pronunciation - Yahoo! Education

Definition of escalate

Reference
Dictionary
Encyclopedia
Thesaurus
World Factbook
Spanish Dictionary
Anatomy
Conversion Calculator
 
es·ca·late  audio  (sk-lt) KEY 

VERB:
es·ca·lat·ed, es·ca·lat·ing, es·ca·lates
VERB:
tr.
To increase, enlarge, or intensify: escalated the hostilities in the Persian Gulf.
VERB:
intr.
To increase in intensity or extent: "a deepening long-term impasse that is certain to escalate" (Stewart L. Udall).
ETYMOLOGY:
Back-formation from escalator

OTHER FORMS:
esca·lation(Noun), esca·la·tory  (-l-tôr, -tr) KEY (Adjective)


 Visit our partner's site
Provided by Houghton Mifflin
logoeReference -- Download this interactive reference software to your desktop computer