: 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
This run needs to be the liftoff.
—
Eric Stephens, New York Times, 15 May 2026
Powered by 33 of SpaceX's Raptor-class engines, the booster provides the initial burst of thrust at liftoff, while the vehicle is where the crew and cargo would ride in orbit after the stages separate.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 13 May 2026
The vast majority of the rocket's liftoffs so far in 2026 — 44 of 55 — have been dedicated to building out Starlink, SpaceX's broadband megaconstellation in low Earth orbit.
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 12 May 2026
The upcoming flight will also mark the first liftoff from a new launch pad at Starbase, about 1,000 feet (300 meters) west of the departure point for all of SpaceX’s past Starship test flights.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for liftoff
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Eric Stephens, New York Times, 15 May 2026
Powered by 33 of SpaceX's Raptor-class engines, the booster provides the initial burst of thrust at liftoff, while the vehicle is where the crew and cargo would ride in orbit after the stages separate.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 13 May 2026
The vast majority of the rocket's liftoffs so far in 2026 — 44 of 55 — have been dedicated to building out Starlink, SpaceX's broadband megaconstellation in low Earth orbit.
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 12 May 2026
The upcoming flight will also mark the first liftoff from a new launch pad at Starbase, about 1,000 feet (300 meters) west of the departure point for all of SpaceX’s past Starship test flights.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 12 May 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 19 May. 2026.
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liftoff
noun
lift·off
ˈlif-ˌtȯf 
: a vertical takeoff (as by a rocket)
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