escalate
Say it: ES-kuh-layt /ˈɛskəleɪt/ · verb
What “escalate” means
Pass a problem to someone with more authority.
More precisely: To pass a problem to someone with more authority; also, to become more intense.
Example: “If support can't fix it in a day, escalate it to the engineering lead.”
When to use it
At work, when a problem needs a senior person's attention because the current team cannot resolve it.
Memory trick
Picture a problem riding an escalator up to the boss.
It can also mean
It also means to become more serious or intense, like an argument.
Similar words
refer upward, elevate, intensify
Quick check
A customer needs a refund you cannot authorise, so you pass the case to your manager. What do you do?
escalate or postpone?
Show the answer
escalate
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