expression, ichidan verb
spur on; accelerate; encourage
Idiomatic expression meaning to give impetus to something, often used with abstract nouns like 成長, 発展, 不安, or 議論.
新しい政策が経済成長に拍車をかけた。
The new policy spurred economic growth.
彼の一言が議論に拍車をかけた。
His remark fueled the debate.