Definitions

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun an increase or rise, especially one to counteract a perceived discrepancy
  • noun a deliberate or premeditated increase in the violence or geographic scope of a conflict

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun an increase to counteract a perceived discrepancy

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Back-formation from escalator.

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Examples

  • Human-rights groups have been especially critical of what they call an escalation in army violence against ethnic minorities this year, and many U.S. congressional leaders are leery of Myanmar's ties with Pyongyang.

    Clinton Encourages Myanmar Keith Johnson 2011

  • As my colleague Joe notes, Bush continues to assert that the escalation is an Iraqi plan.

    Mancrush on the Wane? - Swampland - TIME.com 2007

  • The senator and likely presidential candidate Barack Obama has just put out his own plan to stop what he calls the escalation of the war in Iraq, the Illinois Democrat introducing binding legislation to begin a phased redeployment of troops from Iraq.

    CNN Transcript Jan 30, 2007 2007

  • And finally, I would point out Democrat Edward Kennedy, who, as you know, is trying to stop what he calls the escalation of the war in Iraq, really pressed the attorney general on the War Powers Act, asking him whether the mission has changed so much in Iraq since the 2002 congressional authorization, that maybe the president has to come back to the Hill for another authorization to send more troops.

    CNN Transcript Jan 18, 2007 2007

  • I also find it insanely ridiculous that CNN goes out of its way to note that Democrats coined the term escalation without any acknowlegement that Condi coined the term "augmentation" and was essentially laughed out of the room.

    Horses Mouth January 22, 2007 4:24 PM 2007

  • But I'm not blind to it's clunky bits; it goes a little Hollywood in the end, that awkward line at the end about "escalation" is pure next movie set-up that sticks out like a sore thumb.

    The Dark Knight Lou Anders 2008

  • But I'm not blind to it's clunky bits; it goes a little Hollywood in the end, that awkward line at the end about "escalation" is pure next movie set-up that sticks out like a sore thumb.

    Archive 2008-07-01 Lou Anders 2008

  • It would seem to me the only reason Republicans would be against an escalation is if they believe it will result in the end of our dumping our blood and treasure on Afghanistan's soil coming sooner.

    Obama's Afghanistan plan wins conservative praise 2009

  • As Annacone points out, records and best-ever discussions come with a built-in escalation factor.

    Let the debate begin: Is Federer now the greatest of all time? 2009

  • One way to prevent an escalation is to increase the supply of physicians, which is now taking place at a rapid rate.

    The Nixon/Kennedy Health Care Act of 2010 - mostlygood’s blog - RedState 2010

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