radicalize

verb

1. (transitive)To make radical.

   “The goal of the Cultural Revolution was to radicalize the whole society, to create mass participation at all levels of decision-making, and to restore the revolutionary élan of the 1940s.”

   “Described by witnesses as a keen cricketer and pubgoer until contacts with Islamic militants radicalized him on a trip to Pakistan, he was ordered to serve at least 14 years for the plot, and for supplying militants in Afghanistan with money and equipment.”

   “It’s been called “one of the most powerful radicalizing instruments of the 21st century,” “a petri dish of divisive, conspiratorial and sometimes hateful content,” and a tool that “drives people to the internet’s darkest corners.””

2. (intransitive)To become radical; to adopt a radical political stance.

   “He’s a delight and provides a little break in one’s timeline between heart-stopping political developments, at least until he himself radicalizes, which is bound to happen soon, because he is a French bulldog.”