: a vertical takeoff by an aircraft or a rocket vehicle or missile
Examples of liftoff in a Sentence
a series of successful liftoffs
Thousand of spectators gathered to watch the liftoff of the space shuttle.
Recent Examples on the Web
The mission appears to be on track for an evening liftoff – making conditions ideal to catch the spacecraft flying over neighboring Arizona.
—
Eric Lagatta, AZCentral.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Editor's note: This story was updated at 12:23 a.m. ET on Aug. 5 with news of successful liftoff, then again at 1:30 a.m. ET with news of successful satellite deploy.
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 5 Aug. 2025
Plus, the exhaust barks out back with little pops and bangs on throttle liftoff.
—ArsTechnica, 5 Aug. 2025
The first-stage booster made a successful 21st liftoff, but was expended to get the satellite to a geosynchronous transfer orbit.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for liftoff
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Eric Lagatta, AZCentral.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Editor's note: This story was updated at 12:23 a.m. ET on Aug. 5 with news of successful liftoff, then again at 1:30 a.m. ET with news of successful satellite deploy.
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 5 Aug. 2025
Plus, the exhaust barks out back with little pops and bangs on throttle liftoff.
—ArsTechnica, 5 Aug. 2025
The first-stage booster made a successful 21st liftoff, but was expended to get the satellite to a geosynchronous transfer orbit.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for liftoff
Cite this Entry
“Liftoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/liftoff. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
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liftoff
noun
lift·off
ˈlif-ˌtȯf 
: a vertical takeoff (as by a rocket)
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