1
: one that rises (as from sleep)
2
: the upright member between two stair treads
3
: a stage platform on which performers are placed for greater visibility
4
: a vertical pipe (as for water or gas) or a vertical portion of an electric wiring system
5
: one of the straps that connects a parachutist's harness with the shroud lines
Examples of riser in a Sentence
The school choir stood on the risers for the concert.
Recent Examples on the Web
The incident occurred around 10:25 p.m. After joining the department in 2004, Ensley was seen as a fast riser, earning a reputation as a hard-working cop who worked anti-gang assignments in Hollenbeck Division.
—
Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024
Baltimore Ravens Middlehurst-Schwartz: Darius Robinson, DE, Missouri Davis: Keon Coleman, WR, Florida State
Robinson is the biggest riser on defense from the Senior Bowl thanks to his display of power and pass rush moves.
—Ayrton Ostly, USA TODAY, 21 Feb. 2024
Scottsdale Notre Dame Prep Saints (11-4-1) The biggest riser this week after a huge 1-0 win against No. 5 Scottsdale Chaparral.
—Logan Stanley, The Arizona Republic, 26 Jan. 2024
State Farm hosted daily panels that had fans packing the risers.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 8 Nov. 2023
Last year's top riser on the U.K.'s FTSE 100, as well as the Stoxx 600, a pan-European index of leading companies from 17 countries on the old continent, posted an underlying operating profit of £1.6 billion ($2 billion) in 2023, compared to £652 million in 2022 on February 22, 2024.
—Gaurav Sharma, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024
Early risers may have Neanderthal ancestors, a new study suggests.
—Nicholas Rice, Peoplemag, 18 Dec. 2023
Pre-dawn risers get a treat with Venus, Spica and the crescent moon clustered in the southeast sky both today and tomorrow.
—David Streit, Washington Post, 7 Dec. 2023
From special fan risers, these lucky guests will be witness to talent arrivals, photography and interviews, all from the Marriott Bonvoy designed viewing area, the only official red carpet viewing area available to fans.
—James Dinh, Billboard, 1 Feb. 2024
Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024
Baltimore Ravens Middlehurst-Schwartz: Darius Robinson, DE, Missouri Davis: Keon Coleman, WR, Florida State
Robinson is the biggest riser on defense from the Senior Bowl thanks to his display of power and pass rush moves.
—Ayrton Ostly, USA TODAY, 21 Feb. 2024
Scottsdale Notre Dame Prep Saints (11-4-1) The biggest riser this week after a huge 1-0 win against No. 5 Scottsdale Chaparral.
—Logan Stanley, The Arizona Republic, 26 Jan. 2024
State Farm hosted daily panels that had fans packing the risers.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 8 Nov. 2023
Last year's top riser on the U.K.'s FTSE 100, as well as the Stoxx 600, a pan-European index of leading companies from 17 countries on the old continent, posted an underlying operating profit of £1.6 billion ($2 billion) in 2023, compared to £652 million in 2022 on February 22, 2024.
—Gaurav Sharma, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024
Early risers may have Neanderthal ancestors, a new study suggests.
—Nicholas Rice, Peoplemag, 18 Dec. 2023
Pre-dawn risers get a treat with Venus, Spica and the crescent moon clustered in the southeast sky both today and tomorrow.
—David Streit, Washington Post, 7 Dec. 2023
From special fan risers, these lucky guests will be witness to talent arrivals, photography and interviews, all from the Marriott Bonvoy designed viewing area, the only official red carpet viewing area available to fans.
—James Dinh, Billboard, 1 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'riser.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of riser was
in the 15th century
Dictionary Entries Near riser
Cite this Entry
“Riser.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/riser. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
riser
noun
ris·er
ˈrī-zər 
1
: one that rises (as from sleep)
an early riser
2
: the upright board between two stair treads
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for riser
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