Definitions

1. noun

a sudden or significant increase in something, especially a problem or a difficult situation

“The government’s inaction led to a significant escalation of the crisis.”

2. noun

the process of becoming more serious or more severe

“The situation began to escalate as more details emerged about the accident.”

3. noun

a military term for the increase in intensity or scale of military operations

“The military plans to escalate their campaign against the enemy’s strongholds.”

4. verb

to make something more serious or more severe

“The situation was escalating rapidly, and the authorities were struggling to keep up.”