Antonyms of verb escalate

1 sense of escalate

Sense 1
escalate, intensify, step up -- (increase in extent or intensity; "The Allies escalated the bombing")
       Antonym of de-escalate (Sense 2)
      => de-escalate, weaken, step down -- (reduce the level or intensity or size or scope of; "de-escalate a crisis")

Synonyms/Hypernyms (Ordered by Estimated Frequency) of verb escalate

1 sense of escalate

Sense 1
escalate, intensify, step up -- (increase in extent or intensity; "The Allies escalated the bombing")
       => increase -- (make bigger or more; "The boss finally increased her salary"; "The university increased the number of students it admitted")