The pattern of gradually increasing severity fits with the general image of an escalatory conflict model.
Source: wiktionary
Escalatory
//ˈɛskələˌtɔɹi//
Synonyms for "escalatory"
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3 total sentences available.
Is there an escalatory ladder in cyber, the same as with weapons of mass destruction?
Source: wiktionary
Israel intercepted a missile fired by Hezbollah near Tel Aviv on Wednesday, an unprecedented attack by the militant group that reached deep into the country’s commercial heartlands and marked a new escalatory step in the conflict between the two sides.
Source: wiktionary
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.