liftoff

noun

lift·​off ˈlift-ˌȯf 

: a vertical takeoff by an aircraft or a rocket vehicle or missile

Synonyms of liftoff

• launch
• takeoff

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 was never meant to return to the Starbase launch site either, dropping instead into the Gulf of Mexico within minutes of the morning liftoff. — Arkansas Online, 29 Sep. 2026

The vehicle splashed down intact in the northern Pacific Ocean three hours and eight minutes after liftoff, causing another eruption of cheers from the folks gathered at Starbase. — Mike Wall, Space.com, 28 Sep. 2026

The first-stage booster was never meant to return to the Starbase launch site either, instead dropping into the Gulf of Mexico within minutes of the morning liftoff. — Marcia Dunn, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026

The towering megarocket stands at nearly 400 feet (121 meters) tall and, with the debut of Version 3, packs around 18 million pounds of force at liftoff. — Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 28 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1956, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for liftoff

• ashraf
• checkoff
• cutoff
• falloff
• handoff
• kickoff
• layoff
• markoff
• markov
• payoff
• playoff
• runoff

Kids Definition

liftoff

noun

lift·​off ˈlif-ˌtȯf 

: a vertical takeoff (as by a rocket)