de-escalate
verb
de-es·ca·late
(ˌ)dē-ˈe-skə-ˌlāt 
nonstandard -ˈe-skyə-
de-escalated; de-escalating; de-escalates
: limit sense 2b
de-escalate production
tried to de-escalate the tension
: to decrease in extent, volume, or scope
violence began to de-escalate
Examples of de-escalate in a Sentence
first, the mediator tried to de-escalate the tension in the room
the fighting de-escalated as the peace talks progressed
Recent Examples on the Web
Several countries such as Spain and Brazil have offered to mediate negotiations that would de-escalate the threat of conflict, and multilateral engagement including through the United Nations is essential for solutions that put civilians first.
—
Ciaran Donnelly, Time, 11 Jan. 2026
More importantly, modern cops are trained to de-escalate matters and understand how people react under stress.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 11 Jan. 2026
Those on the right, determined to make the case that this was an officer killing in self-defense, should instead be beginning with this utter failure to protect the life of a civilian protester and de-escalate the situation through some means other than shooting a fellow American in the head.
—Arkansas Online, 10 Jan. 2026
Depending on the crisis, CRS deployed small teams or larger groups of up to 15 specialists to immediately de-escalate conflicts and come up with long-term solutions that usually became templates to be used elsewhere.
—Josh Meyer, USA Today, 10 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“De-escalate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/de-escalate. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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