test-fly
verb
test-flew
ˈtest-ˌflü 
; test-flown
ˈtest-ˌflōn
; test-flying
; test-flown
ˈtest-ˌflōn
; test-flying
: to subject to a flight test
test-fly an experimental plane
Examples of test-fly in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Founded by Tom Mueller, a former propulsion guru at SpaceX, Impulse Space has test-flown an orbital maneuvering vehicle called Mira on two flights over the last couple of years.
—
Stephen Clark – Jun 6, ArsTechnica, 6 June 2025
The plan was for a brisk and breezy mission—test-flying Boeing’s brand-new Starliner spacecraft up to the ISS for a short eight-day cruise.
—Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 13 Aug. 2024
If all goes well, the team plans to test-fly the hybrid-propulsion Saab 340 within about six years.
—Amy Jankovsky, IEEE Spectrum, 30 Nov. 2023
The team verified this by test-flying various rectangular sheets of paper, changing the front weight by adding thin metallic tape to one edge.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 14 Nov. 2023
Airbus test-flew a miniaturized airliner demonstrator in 2019.
—Sébastien Roblin, Popular Mechanics, 24 Aug. 2023
Now, one company has gotten a step closer to making that vision a reality, receiving government approval to test-fly its sports car.
—Irina Ivanova, CBS News, 4 July 2023
The two met up last week to test-fly a plane that had come out of maintenance.
—Emily Davies, Washington Post, 6 June 2023
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Stephen Clark – Jun 6, ArsTechnica, 6 June 2025
The plan was for a brisk and breezy mission—test-flying Boeing’s brand-new Starliner spacecraft up to the ISS for a short eight-day cruise.
—Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 13 Aug. 2024
If all goes well, the team plans to test-fly the hybrid-propulsion Saab 340 within about six years.
—Amy Jankovsky, IEEE Spectrum, 30 Nov. 2023
The team verified this by test-flying various rectangular sheets of paper, changing the front weight by adding thin metallic tape to one edge.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 14 Nov. 2023
Airbus test-flew a miniaturized airliner demonstrator in 2019.
—Sébastien Roblin, Popular Mechanics, 24 Aug. 2023
Now, one company has gotten a step closer to making that vision a reality, receiving government approval to test-fly its sports car.
—Irina Ivanova, CBS News, 4 July 2023
The two met up last week to test-fly a plane that had come out of maintenance.
—Emily Davies, Washington Post, 6 June 2023
Cite this Entry
“Test-fly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/test-fly. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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