airlift

noun

air·​lift ˈer-ˌlift 

: a system of transporting cargo or passengers by aircraft often to or from an otherwise inaccessible area

airlift transitive verb

Examples of airlift in a Sentence

an emergency airlift to deliver supplies to the famine victims

Recent Examples on the Web

The airlift was handled by a UH-60 Blackhawk crew from Knoxville’s 1-230th Assault Helicopter Battalion, officials said. — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 31 July 2026

Additionally, while Iranian officials talk about a ground offensive, Bubiyan and Bahrain are islands, which would necessitate amphibious operations or sizable airlifts. — Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026

Six Boeing 767 airlifts have carried 295 tons of relief supplies into the country. — Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 22 July 2026

Upon discovering the toddler was breathing, authorities immediately organized an emergency airlift to rush the toddler to Phoenix Children's Hospital, CBS News reported, citing the police report. — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 8 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1943, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for airlift

• adrift
• facelift
• festschrift
• forklift
• gearshift
• makeshift
• redshift
• sealift
• snowdrift
• spendthrift
• clift
• drift

Kids Definition

airlift

noun

air·​lift ˈa(ə)r-ˌlift 

ˈe(ə)r-

: a system of transporting cargo or passengers by aircraft to or from an area otherwise impossible to reach

airlift verb