/ˌɛskəˈleɪtɔri/ (ES-kə-LAY-toh-ree)

Definitions

1. adjective

tending to cause a situation to become more serious or violent, or to become more severe or intense

“The situation escalated into violence after the protest turned ugly.”

2. adjective

relating to or resembling an escalation

“The escalatory tactics used by the marketing team were highly effective.”

3. noun

a situation that is becoming more serious or violent, or becoming more severe or intense

“The government warned of an escalatory threat from the terrorist group.”