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
Anna Lazarus Caplan, People.com, 14 Jan. 2025
The nominee is unconventional, just like that New York developer who wrote down the escalator in 2015 to announce his candidacy for president.
—Barbara Sprunt, NPR, 14 Jan. 2025
Ranieri rectified that and doesn’t seem to care that as long as Dybala keeps playing, his contract will be automatically renewed with a salary escalator; something De Rossi and Juric always had in the backs of their minds.
—James Horncastle, The Athletic, 5 Jan. 2025
The store’s location feels so correct, sandwiched between the steps at Lincoln Center and the harrowing escalator at the 72nd Street Trader Joe’s.
—Zach Schiffman, Curbed, 24 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for escalator 
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Noun
The mascots were also seen riding an escalator at Barclays Center and posing for street-side selfies underneath the Brooklyn Bridge.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, People.com, 14 Jan. 2025
The nominee is unconventional, just like that New York developer who wrote down the escalator in 2015 to announce his candidacy for president.
—Barbara Sprunt, NPR, 14 Jan. 2025
Ranieri rectified that and doesn’t seem to care that as long as Dybala keeps playing, his contract will be automatically renewed with a salary escalator; something De Rossi and Juric always had in the backs of their minds.
—James Horncastle, The Athletic, 5 Jan. 2025
The store’s location feels so correct, sandwiched between the steps at Lincoln Center and the harrowing escalator at the 72nd Street Trader Joe’s.
—Zach Schiffman, Curbed, 24 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for escalator
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Cite this Entry
“Escalator.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/escalator. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
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