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
The layout features two sets of stairs that frame the dining room, one of which leads to the main room upstairs.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 16 Apr. 2024
For example, a prospective health study of nearly 9,000 older men found that the number of stairs climbed regularly was inversely associated with all-cause mortality, and better for overall health and reducing disease risk than regular walking.
—PCMAG, 10 Apr. 2024
The stairs of Harvard University Stadium are open to the public and popular with local run clubs.
—Todd Plummer, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Apr. 2024
At the top of the stairs, hikers will pass by a World War II-era underground searchlight shelter.
—Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Apr. 2024
Evidence at the scene suggested arson targeting vegetation and a set of stairs to a building, according to police.
—Jason Green, The Mercury News, 5 Apr. 2024
Nestled between two cliffs, the beach is only accessible by descending a steep flight of stairs that have been carved into the cliffside.
—Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY, 3 Apr. 2024
An officer grabbed Özer, and the young CEO, now wearing a white polo shirt, was handcuffed, escorted down a short flight of stairs, shuttled into an unmarked white van, and driven into the night.
—Leif Wenar, WIRED, 2 Apr. 2024
The boy’s death was initially reported as an accidental fall down a flight of stairs.
—Christine Pelisek, Peoplemag, 1 Apr. 2024
Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 16 Apr. 2024
For example, a prospective health study of nearly 9,000 older men found that the number of stairs climbed regularly was inversely associated with all-cause mortality, and better for overall health and reducing disease risk than regular walking.
—PCMAG, 10 Apr. 2024
The stairs of Harvard University Stadium are open to the public and popular with local run clubs.
—Todd Plummer, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Apr. 2024
At the top of the stairs, hikers will pass by a World War II-era underground searchlight shelter.
—Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Apr. 2024
Evidence at the scene suggested arson targeting vegetation and a set of stairs to a building, according to police.
—Jason Green, The Mercury News, 5 Apr. 2024
Nestled between two cliffs, the beach is only accessible by descending a steep flight of stairs that have been carved into the cliffside.
—Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY, 3 Apr. 2024
An officer grabbed Özer, and the young CEO, now wearing a white polo shirt, was handcuffed, escorted down a short flight of stairs, shuttled into an unmarked white van, and driven into the night.
—Leif Wenar, WIRED, 2 Apr. 2024
The boy’s death was initially reported as an accidental fall down a flight of stairs.
—Christine Pelisek, Peoplemag, 1 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stair.' 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
“Stair.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stair. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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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