: 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
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.
Six Boeing 767 airlifts have carried 295 tons of relief supplies into the country. Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 22 July 2026 In many cities with big marathons hotels sell out, dining gets tight and lodging and transportation can be pricey, but that’s not the case in winter in Las Vegas, which has more than enough airlift and hotel rooms to handle the turnout. Larry Olmsted, Forbes.com, 21 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 Instead, the blockade was becoming a public relations nightmare for Moscow—and the airlift a symbol of Western resolve. Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for airlift

Word History

First Known Use

1943, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of airlift was in 1943

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Cite this Entry

“Airlift.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/airlift. Accessed 27 Jul. 2026.

Kids Definition

airlift

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

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