: 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 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 June 2026
SpaceX redesigned this massive structure to pull away more rapidly during liftoff to spare its myriad umbilicals and other connections to the rocket from serious damage.
—Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 3 June 2026
The damage to the concrete apron is not yet known; nor is the condition of the deluge system that pours up to a million gallons of water on the pad during launch to protect it from the heat of New Glenn’s engines and dampen the acoustical shock of a liftoff.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 29 May 2026
For today's launch, once the Atlas V reaches orbit this evening, the rocket's second stage will deploy the satellites in groups of three over the course of about 10 minutes, releasing the final two 37 minutes and 41 seconds after liftoff, according to ULA's flight profile.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 29 May 2026
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Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 June 2026
SpaceX redesigned this massive structure to pull away more rapidly during liftoff to spare its myriad umbilicals and other connections to the rocket from serious damage.
—Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 3 June 2026
The damage to the concrete apron is not yet known; nor is the condition of the deluge system that pours up to a million gallons of water on the pad during launch to protect it from the heat of New Glenn’s engines and dampen the acoustical shock of a liftoff.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 29 May 2026
For today's launch, once the Atlas V reaches orbit this evening, the rocket's second stage will deploy the satellites in groups of three over the course of about 10 minutes, releasing the final two 37 minutes and 41 seconds after liftoff, according to ULA's flight profile.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 29 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 8 Jun. 2026.
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liftoff
noun
lift·off
ˈlif-ˌtȯf 
: a vertical takeoff (as by a rocket)
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