: 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
That delay, though, opens the door for a national security mission aiming for liftoff on Thursday morning.
—
Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 Feb. 2026
Such a delay would put Crew-12's liftoff pretty much on its original schedule.
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 6 Feb. 2026
When a launch is imminent, the astronauts will fly to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida about a week prior to liftoff.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 4 Feb. 2026
Flight Plan for Artemis II Countdown, ignition…and liftoff.
—IEEE Spectrum, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for liftoff
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Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 Feb. 2026
Such a delay would put Crew-12's liftoff pretty much on its original schedule.
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 6 Feb. 2026
When a launch is imminent, the astronauts will fly to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida about a week prior to liftoff.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 4 Feb. 2026
Flight Plan for Artemis II Countdown, ignition…and liftoff.
—IEEE Spectrum, 29 Jan. 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 11 Feb. 2026.
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liftoff
noun
lift·off
ˈlif-ˌtȯf 
: a vertical takeoff (as by a rocket)
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