1. To increase, to enlarge, or to intensify: The President was trying to escalate the number of troops in the war zone.

Company losses have been escalating so it is imperative that the owner finds better top-level administrators to solve the financial problems before they escalate into a disaster.

2. To make greater and more intense: The political opposition has had a long-term disagreement with the current head of state which is escalating into a potential break up of the administration.
3. To develop into a more serious situation: The news on TV indicated that the demonstrators were escalating their opposition to certain government officials.
4. Etymology: from Latin scalare, "to climb".

Originally escalate referred "to traveling on an escalator" and from this meaning of "rising", it now means any "increasing" of something.

© ALL rights are reserved.

Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
so you can see more of Mickey Bach's cartoons.

1. To diminish in size, magnitude, scope, or intensity: Perhaps because the birth control pill has been on the market, the number of births per year has de-escalated.
2. To reduce the level or intensity of a difficult or dangerous situation: Mrs. Smith tried to de-escalate the conflict between the two students who were about to start a big fight on the schoolyard.