es·ca·la·tor
ˈe-skə-ˌlā-tər 
nonstandard
-skyə-
1
a
: a power-driven set of stairs arranged like an endless belt that ascend or descend continuously
b
: an upward course suggestive of an escalator
a never-stopping escalator of economic progress—
D. W. Brogan
D. W. Brogan2
: an escalator clause or provision
: providing for a periodic proportional upward or downward adjustment (as of prices or wages)
an escalator arrangement tying the base pay … to living costs—New York Times
New York TimesExamples of escalator in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the WebJon Wilner, The Mercury News, 22 Apr. 2024
My son showed me a video someone had shared with him, of a shopper using some kind of bollard to hold off a man with a knife on an escalator.
—Damien Cave, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2024
Teens munch on pizza on the atrium escalator; a pair of older ladies in sweatsuits power walks through the shoe department; couples smooch in the movie theater.
—Lisa Wong MacAbasco, Vogue, 27 Feb. 2024
The footage, reported by Australia's 9News and The Sydney Morning Herald, appears to show a man armed with a knife walking up an escalator at the shopping center.
—Brenton Blanchet, Peoplemag, 13 Apr. 2024
Work on the escalators that go upstairs from the ticketing area will begin soon and take a few months to complete.
—James A. Jones Jr., Miami Herald, 29 Mar. 2024
The screen goes dark and suddenly Nye is back on his escalator, descending away from the fiery Transformer globe, safe from these outlandish scenarios.
—The Arizona Republic, 20 Mar. 2024
That figure represents a combination of salary, backend compensation, box-office escalators and a bonus for his twin Academy Awards.
—Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 12 Mar. 2024
Included in the $100 million terminal project is a second set of down escalators to the baggage claim area.
—James A. Jones Jr., Miami Herald, 29 Mar. 2024
Noun
Because media contracts often have escalator clauses, the final-year payout on lengthy agreements is usually far above the average amount.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 22 Apr. 2024
My son showed me a video someone had shared with him, of a shopper using some kind of bollard to hold off a man with a knife on an escalator.
—Damien Cave, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2024
Teens munch on pizza on the atrium escalator; a pair of older ladies in sweatsuits power walks through the shoe department; couples smooch in the movie theater.
—Lisa Wong MacAbasco, Vogue, 27 Feb. 2024
The footage, reported by Australia's 9News and The Sydney Morning Herald, appears to show a man armed with a knife walking up an escalator at the shopping center.
—Brenton Blanchet, Peoplemag, 13 Apr. 2024
Work on the escalators that go upstairs from the ticketing area will begin soon and take a few months to complete.
—James A. Jones Jr., Miami Herald, 29 Mar. 2024
The screen goes dark and suddenly Nye is back on his escalator, descending away from the fiery Transformer globe, safe from these outlandish scenarios.
—The Arizona Republic, 20 Mar. 2024
That figure represents a combination of salary, backend compensation, box-office escalators and a bonus for his twin Academy Awards.
—Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 12 Mar. 2024
Included in the $100 million terminal project is a second set of down escalators to the baggage claim area.
—James A. Jones Jr., Miami Herald, 29 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'escalator.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Escalator.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/escalator. Accessed 2 May. 2024.
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