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Vinony

escalate

verb

  1. (cause to) become higher, (causing to) become higher or more intense
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Wiktionary

Pronunciation: /ˈɛs.kə.leɪt/ / /ˈɛs.kjə.leɪt/

verb

Etymology: Back-formation from escalator.

  1. To increase (something) in extent or intensity; to intensify or step up.

    “Violence escalated during the election.”

    “The shooting escalated the existing hostility.”

  2. In technical support, to transfer a customer, a problem, etc. to the next higher level of authority

    “The tech 1 escalated the caller to a tech 2.”

  3. To climb.

    “Thus, actually a prior uncounselled misdemeanor conviction may often prove to be a boon to one escalating the ladder of crime to the point where he has been convicted of a major aggravated offense.”

    “They escalated upstairs to the Mall coffee tables.”

  4. To move by escalator.

    “Escalator after escalator flowed up to the heights above, […] Dov escalated up beside me, scowling.”

    “There were people just about everywhere, packing the garish fluorescent-lit corridors, riding in humming golf carts, escalating up and down escalators, floating along on those George Jetson moving sidewalk thingies.”