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
Eric Jackson, Sportico.com, 2 May 2025
Gone are the escalators and the jumble of merchandise racks.
—David Moin, Footwear News, 1 May 2025
Up the escalator, on the second floor, is the Salon, with its huge birdcage constructions housing clothes arranged, as is the store’s wont, by color, mood, and attitude rather than by brand.
—Mark Holgate, Vogue, 17 Apr. 2025
On a recent afternoon, the actor Michael Gandolfini ascended an escalator to Whitehall Terminal to take the twelve-thirty ferry to Staten Island.
—Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for escalator
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Noun
Annual escalators were removed from the contracts of the Knicks and Rangers and their local media deals will now expire after the 2028-29 season versus 2034-35.
—Eric Jackson, Sportico.com, 2 May 2025
Gone are the escalators and the jumble of merchandise racks.
—David Moin, Footwear News, 1 May 2025
Up the escalator, on the second floor, is the Salon, with its huge birdcage constructions housing clothes arranged, as is the store’s wont, by color, mood, and attitude rather than by brand.
—Mark Holgate, Vogue, 17 Apr. 2025
On a recent afternoon, the actor Michael Gandolfini ascended an escalator to Whitehall Terminal to take the twelve-thirty ferry to Staten Island.
—Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 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 17 May. 2025.
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