: 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, 10 Mar. 2026
The Fram2 launch came two weeks and three days after the liftoff of SpaceX's Crew-10 mission to the ISS for NASA — the shortest time to date between SpaceX astronaut launches.
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 10 Mar. 2026
The practice liftoff to get into a new lunar orbit was supposed to have been in February.
—Arkansas Online, 28 Feb. 2026
The decision represented an abrupt reversal from Friday, when agency officials — on the heels of a fueling test called a wet dress rehearsal — expressed confidence in the potential for a March 6 liftoff.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for liftoff
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Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 Mar. 2026
The Fram2 launch came two weeks and three days after the liftoff of SpaceX's Crew-10 mission to the ISS for NASA — the shortest time to date between SpaceX astronaut launches.
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 10 Mar. 2026
The practice liftoff to get into a new lunar orbit was supposed to have been in February.
—Arkansas Online, 28 Feb. 2026
The decision represented an abrupt reversal from Friday, when agency officials — on the heels of a fueling test called a wet dress rehearsal — expressed confidence in the potential for a March 6 liftoff.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 24 Feb. 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 16 Mar. 2026.
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liftoff
noun
lift·off
ˈlif-ˌtȯf 
: a vertical takeoff (as by a rocket)
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