plural flybys
1
: a prearranged usually low-altitude flight by one or more airplanes over a public gathering (such as an air show)
2
a
: a flight of a spacecraft past a celestial body (such as Mars) close enough to obtain scientific data
b
: a spacecraft that makes a flyby
Examples of flyby in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Today, Juno scientists are looking forward to the possibility of investigating previously unexplored regions of the Jovian system, including several moons that have never had a close flyby performed of them.
—
Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 3 Sep. 2025
The probe will steal a small fraction of Venus' orbital momentum, helping propel it toward its next planetary flyby in September 2026, when JUICE will fly a quick loop around Earth.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Uranus has largely been defined by data gathered during Voyager 2’s flyby, but another, more detailed visit to the ice giant, which rotates on its side, is overdue to shed light on the planet’s atmospheric dynamics, complex magnetic field and what led to the creation of its extreme tilt and rings.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2025
BepiColumbo conducted a close flyby of Mercury in January, taking some spectacular images of its pockmarked surface.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025
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Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 3 Sep. 2025
The probe will steal a small fraction of Venus' orbital momentum, helping propel it toward its next planetary flyby in September 2026, when JUICE will fly a quick loop around Earth.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Uranus has largely been defined by data gathered during Voyager 2’s flyby, but another, more detailed visit to the ice giant, which rotates on its side, is overdue to shed light on the planet’s atmospheric dynamics, complex magnetic field and what led to the creation of its extreme tilt and rings.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2025
BepiColumbo conducted a close flyby of Mercury in January, taking some spectacular images of its pockmarked surface.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flyby
Cite this Entry
“Flyby.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flyby. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
flyby
noun
fly·by
-ˌbī 
plural flybys
1
: a usually low-altitude flight past a chosen place by one or more aircraft
2
a
: a flight of a spacecraft past a heavenly body (as Mars) close enough to obtain scientific information
b
: a spacecraft that makes a flyby
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