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
Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 15 May 2026
An artificial intelligence video unveiled in March includes panning shots of the tower’s exterior and interior, with a presidential jet parked in the lobby alongside a gold escalator like the one Trump rode while launching his presidential campaign in 2015.
—ABC News, 14 May 2026
Police said the electrical escalator malfunctioned, suddenly jolted, and threw people on it forward.
—Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 13 May 2026
Virtually all of its leases include annual rent escalators of 3% to 5%, and its annual lease expirations are spread pretty evenly, at about 11% to 15% annually.
—Brett Owens, Forbes.com, 9 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for escalator
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Noun
After the hearing, Peters and Morales were whisked away by their attorneys and went down the escalators without responding to reporters’ questions.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 15 May 2026
An artificial intelligence video unveiled in March includes panning shots of the tower’s exterior and interior, with a presidential jet parked in the lobby alongside a gold escalator like the one Trump rode while launching his presidential campaign in 2015.
—ABC News, 14 May 2026
Police said the electrical escalator malfunctioned, suddenly jolted, and threw people on it forward.
—Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 13 May 2026
Virtually all of its leases include annual rent escalators of 3% to 5%, and its annual lease expirations are spread pretty evenly, at about 11% to 15% annually.
—Brett Owens, Forbes.com, 9 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for escalator
Cite this Entry
“Escalator.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/escalator. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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