To grow in intensity, scope, or seriousness.
The argument started small, just a few sharp words. But then, things began to escalate. Voices grew louder, anger flared, and soon it felt like the whole situation was about to explode into something much worse.
The tiny argument over who ate the last sugar cookie began to escalate. Voices rose, fingers pointed, and soon the whole room felt thick with anger. What started as a childish squabble was now a full blown fight, each harsh word making the tension worse.
The small disagreement about who took the last synth-fruit began to escalate. First, they shouted. Then, the drone pilot threatened to jam the atmospheric regulator, which would escalate the entire orbital station's oxygen problem. It felt like a dangerous game.
The tiny hamster's chewing noises began softly, but soon they started to escalate. It sounded like a tiny, furry chainsaw had invaded the pantry. We feared the biscuit tin might escalate into a full-blown crumb avalanche.
Barry's mild dislike for glitter glue began to escalate when Brenda, his arch-nemesis, dumped an entire bottle on his prize-winning pet rock. Soon, it was a full-blown war involving sentient, googly-eyed sock puppets and strategically deployed cheese puffs.
The argument started over a misplaced tool, but the shouting and accusations began to escalate. Soon, neither of them could remember what they were angry about initially.
The argument over the last tin of pickled okra started small, just annoyed sighs and pointed fingers. But as they rummaged through the pantry, accusations began to fly about past pantry offenses, and the disagreement started to escalate, fueled by hunger and the lingering scent of vinegar.
The argument about the misplaced beekeeping veil began small, a hushed accusation. But then the tone hardened, voices rose, and accusations of sabotage against hive health started to escalate, threatening to destroy years of careful colony management.
My cat's obsession with chasing the red dot started innocently, but quickly began to escalate. Now, it's a full-blown acrobatic performance involving furniture, curtains, and my dignity. I fear it might soon escalate to demanding treats with interpretive dance.
The argument over the last pickle spear began innocently enough, but quickly began to escalate. Soon, we were debating the existential implications of brine viscosity and whether mayonnaise was a legitimate condiment or a culinary abomination. My cat, Bartholomew, just watched us, judging our ridiculousness with every slow blink.
The argument started with a raised voice, but quickly began to escalate. Accusations flew, and the initial disagreement about chores started to feel like a profound betrayal, its intensity growing with every shouted word.
The argument over the antique abacus began with hushed tones, but the accusation of miscounting beads caused emotions to escalate. Soon, shouts echoed in the silent library, the dispute over beads now a full blown contest of wills, the rivalry growing in intensity with every pointed finger.
The argument over the correct fermentation temperature for the kombucha began as a quiet disagreement. Soon, however, raised voices and frustrated gestures made it clear the tension was starting to escalate. What started as a simple brewing query now felt like a full blown declaration of war on artisanal beverages.
The argument over the last donut threatened to escalate. First, it was hushed whispers and pointed glares. Then, accusations flew about who had "eye-balled" it last. Soon, they were employing elaborate, theatrical sighs and dramatic pronouncements about carbohydrate injustice, escalating the petty squabble into a culinary opera.
The toddler's refusal to wear the sparkly unicorn onesie began subtly, but soon, demands for "sparkle power" started to escalate. He then commenced a tactical deployment of graham cracker shrapnel, aiming to escalate the situation into a full-blown dairy-based confectionery conflict.
The burgeoning dispute began with a terse retort, but soon the recriminations started to escalate. Voices rose, accusations flew, and what began as a minor disagreement threatened to erupt into a full blown conflagration, the tension palpable and growing with each utterance.
The hushed argument over the distribution of spectral resonance coils began to escalate. What started as a mild disagreement amongst the xenoarcheologists over their allocation quickly morphed into a vehement denunciation of each other's methodologies, threatening to rupture the fragile interplanetary research consortium.
The geopolitical rumblings, initially mere diplomatic disquiet, began to escalate with each belligerent decree. Soon, economic sanctions tightened, then skirmishes along contested territories erupted. What started as minor disagreements threatened to escalate into a full-blown conflagration, their previous civility utterly obliterated by burgeoning animosity.
Barnaby's pilfering of pilchards from Mrs. Higgins' pantry began as a minuscule transgression, but soon his clandestine culinary capers began to escalate. What started with a single sardine metastasized into a veritable piscine plundering, necessitating a clandestine conflagration to incinerate the overwhelming evidence of his gluttonous gambit.
The incipient squabble over who pilfered the last ambrosial, cerulean meringue quickly began to escalate. What started as a mild kerfuffle between rival arcane confectioners, specializing in psionically-infused pastries, threatened to escalate into a full-blown phantasmagorical dessert duel, complete with sentient éclairs and a gelatinous guardian.
Normal — Everyday words worth reinforcing.