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 Web
Adam Harrington, CBS News, 8 Dec. 2025
The Athletic's Jim Bowden wants to see the Yankees sign Díaz to a five-year, $88 million deal with escalators that could take the deal to $100 million.
—Aaliyan Mohammed, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2025
As a broker that merely hosts an exchange’s markets, Fanatics avoids the upfront expense of purchasing exchange infrastructure, which, for DraftKings, came out to about $50 million with potential future escalators.
—Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 3 Dec. 2025
The multi-year plan is aimed at transforming the customer experience, with plans to introduce a first-of-its-kind vertical two-story boutique concept and Europe’s first curved escalators as an architectural feature.
—Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 28 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for escalator
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Noun
After that first shot, Roman runs up the escalator, the officers give chase, and a second shot rings out off camera.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 8 Dec. 2025
The Athletic's Jim Bowden wants to see the Yankees sign Díaz to a five-year, $88 million deal with escalators that could take the deal to $100 million.
—Aaliyan Mohammed, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2025
As a broker that merely hosts an exchange’s markets, Fanatics avoids the upfront expense of purchasing exchange infrastructure, which, for DraftKings, came out to about $50 million with potential future escalators.
—Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 3 Dec. 2025
The multi-year plan is aimed at transforming the customer experience, with plans to introduce a first-of-its-kind vertical two-story boutique concept and Europe’s first curved escalators as an architectural feature.
—Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 28 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for escalator
Cite this Entry
“Escalator.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/escalator. Accessed 16 Dec. 2025.
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