escalar
verbCEFR B2
What does “escalar” mean in English?
1.to escalate, to mount
to escalate, to mount (escalar las tensiones — increase in intensity, seriousness, or scope; of conflicts or crises)
2.to escalate
to escalate (escalar un tema/incidencia a la dirección — raising an unresolved issue to a higher level of authority)
Example sentences
Si el proveedor no responde en las próximas veinticuatro horas, tendremos que escalar el problema a la dirección.
If the supplier does not respond within the next twenty-four hours, we will need to escalate the issue to management.
He escalado el caso al director de operaciones porque está por encima de mi nivel de autorización.
I have escalated the case to the operations director because it is above my authorisation level.
En este tipo de situaciones, lo más prudente es escalar antes de tomar una decisión unilateral.
In this type of situation, the most prudent course is to escalate before taking a unilateral decision.
How to use it
Escalar in workplace contexts means 'to escalate' — to raise an issue to a higher level of authority when it cannot be resolved at the current level. Pattern: escalar un tema / una incidencia / una queja a + manager/senior authority. This is a semi-anglicism widely used in Spanish professional environments (from English 'to escalate'). The verb can also be used absolutely: hay que escalar (we need to escalate this). Register: informal-professional; common in multinational and tech workplaces.
Common mistake
Escalar is an anglicism from 'to escalate' — some speakers prefer the neutral synonym elevar (elevar un asunto a la dirección) or llevar a un nivel superior. Escalar is widely understood and used in multinational B2B contexts but may sound like anglified Spanish in some traditional or formal institutional environments. Distinguish from derivar (horizontal referral) — escalar always implies upward movement in hierarchy.