airlift

noun

air·​lift ˈer-ˌlift How to pronounce airlift (audio)
: 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.
According to a release, the Christian relief organization has donated 700,000 pounds of supplies to 80 communities on 357 airlifts. Jasmine Baehr, Fox News, 2 Nov. 2024 Samaritan’s Purse has also completed the largest civilian airlift operation in American history to relieve those affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, completing 358 missions so far. Jasmine Baehr, Fox News, 20 Nov. 2024 The airlift, an elevator-like device, brings the stall to the aircraft on the runway, shortly before takeoff. Lukas Weese, The Athletic, 9 Aug. 2024 For instance, when the United States pulled most of its troops from Afghanistan in 2021, Europeans relied on U.S. troops for the airlift of European evacuees. Max Bergmann, Foreign Affairs, 7 Mar. 2023 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

Dictionary Entries Near airlift

Cite this Entry

“Airlift.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/airlift. Accessed 13 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

airlift

noun
air·​lift ˈa(ə)r-ˌlift How to pronounce airlift (audio)
ˈe(ə)r-
: a system of transporting cargo or passengers by aircraft to or from an area otherwise impossible to reach
airlift verb

More from Merriam-Webster on airlift

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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