: 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
Reigniting its engines for two braking burns, the booster settled onto the ship for a smoky but on-target touchdown less than 10 minutes after liftoff.
—
Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 19 Apr. 2026
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, 19 Apr. 2026
Bluebird 7 was scheduled to be deployed into orbit from New Glenn's upper stage about 1 hour and 15 minutes after liftoff.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 19 Apr. 2026
Blue Origin The first stage appeared to work flawlessly, shutting down and falling away as planned about three minutes and nine seconds after liftoff.
—William Harwood, CBS News, 19 Apr. 2026
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Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 19 Apr. 2026
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, 19 Apr. 2026
Bluebird 7 was scheduled to be deployed into orbit from New Glenn's upper stage about 1 hour and 15 minutes after liftoff.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 19 Apr. 2026
Blue Origin The first stage appeared to work flawlessly, shutting down and falling away as planned about three minutes and nine seconds after liftoff.
—William Harwood, CBS News, 19 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for liftoff
Cite this Entry
“Liftoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/liftoff. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
liftoff
noun
lift·off
ˈlif-ˌtȯf 
: a vertical takeoff (as by a rocket)
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