: 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
A little more than eight minutes after liftoff, SpaceX landed B1067 on its drone ship, Just Read the Instructions, which was positioned in the Atlantic Ocean to the east of the Bahamas.
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ArsTechnica, 16 May 2025
Today's launch was SpaceX's 58th Falcon 9 mission of 2025 and 60th liftoff so far this year.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 14 May 2025
The May 6 attempt was scrubbed two hours before liftoff because of valve on ULA’s upper Centaur stage that teams continue to investigate.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 May 2025
Nearly three minutes into liftoff, the crew capsule separated from the booster and eventually reached the apogee, or the highest point of the flight.
—Jennifer Earl, Analisa Novak, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2025
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ArsTechnica, 16 May 2025
Today's launch was SpaceX's 58th Falcon 9 mission of 2025 and 60th liftoff so far this year.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 14 May 2025
The May 6 attempt was scrubbed two hours before liftoff because of valve on ULA’s upper Centaur stage that teams continue to investigate.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 May 2025
Nearly three minutes into liftoff, the crew capsule separated from the booster and eventually reached the apogee, or the highest point of the flight.
—Jennifer Earl, Analisa Novak, CBS News, 14 Apr. 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 May. 2025.
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liftoff
noun
lift·off
ˈlif-ˌtȯf 
: a vertical takeoff (as by a rocket)
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