To escalate means to increase in intensity, seriousness, or scope. When something escalates, it grows bigger, stronger, or more severe, often in ways that make a situation harder to control.

A playground disagreement might start with one student making a rude comment. If the other student responds with an insult, and then pushing begins, the conflict has escalated from words to physical actions. When countries in a tense situation keep adding more troops and weapons to their borders, the crisis is escalating toward possible war.

Problems don't always escalate on their own: people can escalate situations through their choices. If you get a bad grade and respond by yelling at your teacher, you've escalated a disappointing moment into a serious disciplinary problem. People who handle conflicts well recognize when they're about to escalate a situation and choose instead to calm things down.

The opposite of escalating is de-escalating, which means reducing tension or intensity. A skilled mediator knows how to de-escalate conflicts before they spiral out of control.

Notice that escalation usually suggests something negative getting worse, though you might occasionally hear about escalating excitement or success.