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
Tim Rosenberger, National Review, 30 June 2025
Grinning cutouts of him greet you at the tops of escalators; his products stock the ad space in conference pamphlets.
—Peter Rubin, Longreads, 26 June 2025
The escalator, the ways people stand on the escalator, the way the handrail moves quicker than the stairs do.
—Thresholds
june 18, Literary Hub, 18 June 2025
The storied Alliance Bank Center emptied of tenants in March following a slow decline that included broken escalators, elevator outages and security problems.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for escalator
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Noun
Generations of Americans have sat for the SAT, long the surest social escalator for talented, but overlooked, kids to win seats at the nation’s most elite universities.
—Tim Rosenberger, National Review, 30 June 2025
Grinning cutouts of him greet you at the tops of escalators; his products stock the ad space in conference pamphlets.
—Peter Rubin, Longreads, 26 June 2025
The escalator, the ways people stand on the escalator, the way the handrail moves quicker than the stairs do.
—Thresholds
june 18, Literary Hub, 18 June 2025
The storied Alliance Bank Center emptied of tenants in March following a slow decline that included broken escalators, elevator outages and security problems.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 10 June 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 10 Jul. 2025.
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