{
    "term": "escalate",
    "partOfSpeech": "verb",
    "ox5000": true,
    "cefr": "c1",
    "verbForms": {
        "presentSimple": {
            "iYouWeThey": "escalate",
            "heSheIt": "escalates"
        },
        "pastSimple": "escalated",
        "pastParticiple": "escalated",
        "ingForm": "escalating"
    },
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "to become greater, worse, more serious, etc.; to make something greater, worse, more serious, etc.",
            "sensetop": "escalate into somethingescalate something (into something)",
            "cefr": "c1",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "the **escalating costs** of healthcare"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The fighting escalated into a full-scale war.",
                    "contextForm": "escalate into something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "We do not want to escalate the war.",
                    "contextForm": "escalate something (into something)"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The cost of raw materials has escalated sharply."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The risks gradually escalate."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Violence between the two sides has been steadily escalating."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The conflict could escalate rapidly into a full-scale war."
                },
                {
                    "text": "a small local disagreement that escalates into civil war"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The budget escalated to £32 million."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "to involve a more senior person in dealing with a problem or complaint",
            "sensetop": "escalate something",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "If I don't get a satisfactory outcome, I'm going to have to escalate this issue."
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈeskəleɪt/",
                "audio": "es/escalate/escalate__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈeskəleɪts/",
                "audio": "es/escalate/escalates__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈeskəleɪtɪd/",
                "audio": "es/escalate/escalated__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈeskəleɪtɪŋ/",
                "audio": "es/escalate/escalating__gb_1.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈeskəleɪt/",
                "audio": "es/escalate/escalate__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈeskəleɪts/",
                "audio": "es/escalate/escalates__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈeskəleɪtɪd/",
                "audio": "es/escalate/escalated__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈeskəleɪtɪŋ/",
                "audio": "es/escalate/escalating__us_1.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "1920s (in the sense ‘travel on an escalator’): back-formation from escalator."
}