1. (

• escalate ,
• intensify ,
• step_up

) increase in extent or intensity; "The Allies escalated the bombing" ;

2. (

• intensify ,
• compound ,
• heighten ,
• deepen ,

) make more intense, stronger, or more marked; "The efforts were intensified"; "Her rudeness intensified his dislike for her"; "Pot smokers claim it heightens their awareness"; "This event only deepened my convictions" ;

3. (

• intensify ,
• deepen

) become more intense; "The debate intensified"; "His dislike for raw fish only deepened in Japan" ;

4. (

• intensify ,

) make the chemically affected part of (a negative) denser or more opaque in order produce a stronger contrast between light and dark ;