1
: a series of steps or flights of steps for passing from one level to another
—often used in plural but singular or plural in construction
… a narrow private stairs …—
Lewis Mumford
Lewis Mumford2
: a single step of a stairway
Examples of stair in a Sentence
She ran down the stairs.
He waited at the foot of the stairs.
She slipped and fell down the stairs.
The stairs lead to the roof.
We had to climb another flight of stairs to get to the roof.
He tripped on the bottom stair and almost fell.
Recent Examples on the Web
There are even stairs to navigate in some areas.
—Julian McKenzie, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
There are many doors in Emily’s world—doors for liars, stair climbers, tigers, snakes, and those who speak very quietly—but none for Emily.
—Caroline Carlson, Literary Hub, 2 Feb. 2026
Accessibility The resort has four ADA-compliant guest rooms, each featuring roll-in showers with grab bars and stair-free path entrances.
—Lydia Price, Travel + Leisure, 1 Feb. 2026
Other areas falling below code in the report ranged from restrooms and kitchens to HVAC, egress, interior and exterior stairs, flooring and damaged sidewalks.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 1 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stair
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Julian McKenzie, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
There are many doors in Emily’s world—doors for liars, stair climbers, tigers, snakes, and those who speak very quietly—but none for Emily.
—Caroline Carlson, Literary Hub, 2 Feb. 2026
Accessibility The resort has four ADA-compliant guest rooms, each featuring roll-in showers with grab bars and stair-free path entrances.
—Lydia Price, Travel + Leisure, 1 Feb. 2026
Other areas falling below code in the report ranged from restrooms and kitchens to HVAC, egress, interior and exterior stairs, flooring and damaged sidewalks.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 1 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stair
Cite this Entry
“Stair.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stair. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
stair
noun
ˈsta(ə)r 
ˈste(ə)r
1
: a series of steps or flights of steps for passing from one level to another
—often used in plural
ran down the stairs
2
: one step of a stairway
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