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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

de-escalate en · VERB

Pronunciation

  • /diːˈɛskəleɪt/ (UK)

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *de Proto-Indo-European *-h₁ Proto-Indo-European *déh₁ Proto-Italic *dē Latin dē Latin dē-der. English de- English escalate English de-escalate From de- + escalate.

Meanings

  1. (ambitransitive) To decrease in intensity or magnitude.
    • We asked authors to consider two scenarios imaginable in the next five years. In the first scenario, a minor skirmish escalated into a multiweek maritime blockade of Taiwan by China. Although several dozen members of the Chinese and Taiwanese military were killed, U.S. intervention eventually forced China to de-escalate. 2026 January 19, Bonnie S. Glaser, Zack Cooper, “A Failed Chinese Invasion of Taiwan Would Be Disastrous for Xi Jinping”, in Foreign Policy, archived from the original on 19 Jan 2026, Analysis:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
de-escalated Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
de-escalated Tense=Past lexicographic
deescalate alternative lexicographic
de-escalates Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
de-escalating Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic

Deriveds

de-escalation

Synonyms

defuse · disintensify

Translations (6)

es desescalar (to decrease in intensity or magnitude) · sv trappa ned (to decrease in intensity or magnitude) · el αποκλιμακώνω (to decrease in intensity or magnitude) · ca desescalar (to decrease in intensity or magnitude) · sv trappa ner (to decrease in intensity or magnitude) · pt desescalar (to decrease in intensity or magnitude)