fire escape

noun

: a device for escape from a burning building
especially : a metal stairway attached to the outside of a building

Examples of fire escape in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Reyes broke into the apartment through the fire escape, shocked relatives told The News. John Annese, New York Daily News, 8 Apr. 2025 Ground floor rooms, or rooms with easy access from the outside, including those near fire escapes or back exits, can present a higher risk of theft. Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 30 Mar. 2025 Evelyn screamed again: was the fire escape swaying away from the stuccoed side of the building? Tessa Hadley, The New Yorker, 23 June 2024 All doors, including the fire escapes, had been locked. Ellen Wexler, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fire escape

Word History

First Known Use

1725, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fire escape was in 1725

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Cite this Entry

“Fire escape.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fire%20escape. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

fire escape

noun
: a stairway or ladder that provides a means of escape from a building in case of fire

More from Merriam-Webster on fire escape

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