escalate
to increase or intensify
Root
- scala / scale: ladder, stair, step, or climbing by steps
Other words with the scala / scale root
Escalate keeps the stair image: the situation climbs from one level to the next.
A small complaint escalated after no one answered the first email.
Escalate is not just increase. It often means a situation climbs into a more serious level: conflict, cost, risk, or pressure goes up a step.