flyby

noun

fly·​by ˈflī-ˌbī 

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

But the mission team at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California plans to use the Mars flyby to harness some of the planet's gravitational forces for even more of a boost. —Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 15 May 2026

But the flyby is certain to supply stunning new pictures of Mars itself. —Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 14 May 2026

The spacecraft, which is on its way to an asteroid also called Psyche, will come within around 2,800 miles (4,500 kilometers) of the Red Planet during the flyby. —Robert Lea, Space.com, 12 May 2026

The army opened an inquiry into the flyby to assess the legality of the demonstration, and the crew members involved were suspended. —Jack Dunn, Variety, 2 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1953, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for flyby

• apply
• awry
• belie
• bely
• bigeye
• bonsai
• buckeye
• comply
• coxae
• decry
• defy
• deny

Kids 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