escalate
/ˈeskəleɪt/ verb [I or T]Definition
› to become more important or serious, or to make something do this: a problem/crisis/dispute escalates Mediation can be used to settle disputes at an early stage and stop problems escalating.escalate a problem/matter/complaint If the customer remains dissatisfied with the response, they may then escalate the complaint.
› to rise or to make something rise: price/cost/demand escalates As prices escalated, fewer people could afford a mortgage on a house.escalate costs/prices It was suggested that the UV coating on the windows would escalate the cost of the original plan.
escalation noun [C or U] › the escalation in/of prices The problem needs to be addressed immediately in order to avoid an escalation.(Definition of escalate verb from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary
© Cambridge University Press)
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