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
Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2025
What tends to happen is that global temperatures rise like riding on an escalator, with temporary and natural El Niño weather cycles acting like jumps up or down on that escalator, scientists said.
—Seth Borenstein, Christian Science Monitor, 29 May 2025
The annual escalators were removed from the contracts of the two clubs, and their local media agreements will now expire after the 2028-29 season versus 2034-35.
—Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 8 May 2025
Hernandez was shot in the neck while riding an escalator descending into the Regional Transportation District’s Chestnut Pavilion bus terminal underneath Union Station on April 28, according to court documents.
—Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 7 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for escalator
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Noun
In the decade since his descent down a gilded escalator — and emergence as the most dominant and consequential political figure of the 21st century — Trump has proven himself a peerless master of distraction and deflection.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2025
What tends to happen is that global temperatures rise like riding on an escalator, with temporary and natural El Niño weather cycles acting like jumps up or down on that escalator, scientists said.
—Seth Borenstein, Christian Science Monitor, 29 May 2025
The annual escalators were removed from the contracts of the two clubs, and their local media agreements will now expire after the 2028-29 season versus 2034-35.
—Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 8 May 2025
Hernandez was shot in the neck while riding an escalator descending into the Regional Transportation District’s Chestnut Pavilion bus terminal underneath Union Station on April 28, according to court documents.
—Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 7 May 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 14 Jun. 2025.
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