elevator music
noun
: instrumental arrangements of popular songs often piped in (as to an elevator or retail store)
Examples of elevator music in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The climactic battle feels hasty in the moment, but dragging it out any longer — or worse, having to make everyone recite the usual vampire-killing rules — would have been duller than elevator music.
—
Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2025
That audience might be businesses in search of elevator music.
—IEEE Spectrum, 8 June 2021
Ultimately, the quality of subcarrier signals was lower than traditional FM broadcasts, which contributed to Muzak’s elevator music reputation.
—IEEE Spectrum, 8 June 2021
But compared with the riotous diversity of a rainforest, the columns — like brigades of upright feather dusters — can become as monotonous as elevator music.
—Patricia Cohen Jes Aznar, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2024
See All Example Sentences for elevator music
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2025
That audience might be businesses in search of elevator music.
—IEEE Spectrum, 8 June 2021
Ultimately, the quality of subcarrier signals was lower than traditional FM broadcasts, which contributed to Muzak’s elevator music reputation.
—IEEE Spectrum, 8 June 2021
But compared with the riotous diversity of a rainforest, the columns — like brigades of upright feather dusters — can become as monotonous as elevator music.
—Patricia Cohen Jes Aznar, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2024
See All Example Sentences for elevator music
Cite this Entry
“Elevator music.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/elevator%20music. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share