: 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
Starship's ninth flight began with a successful liftoff, and featured the first reuse of a Super Heavy, a vehicle known as Booster 14.
—
Josh Dinner, Space.com, 18 Aug. 2025
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, 15 Aug. 2025
The Vulcan rocket's Centaur upper stage released its payloads into geosynchronous orbit more than 22,000 miles (nearly 36,000 kilometers) over the equator roughly seven hours after liftoff.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 15 Aug. 2025
When is the next rocket launch from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California?
SpaceX is now working toward a Wednesday, Aug. 13, liftoff of its Falcon 9 rocket from the Vandenberg Space Force Base, with a four-hour launch window opening at 8:44 p.m. PT, the base said in a launch alert.
—Eric Lagatta, AZCentral.com, 13 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for liftoff
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Josh Dinner, Space.com, 18 Aug. 2025
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, 15 Aug. 2025
The Vulcan rocket's Centaur upper stage released its payloads into geosynchronous orbit more than 22,000 miles (nearly 36,000 kilometers) over the equator roughly seven hours after liftoff.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 15 Aug. 2025
When is the next rocket launch from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California?
SpaceX is now working toward a Wednesday, Aug. 13, liftoff of its Falcon 9 rocket from the Vandenberg Space Force Base, with a four-hour launch window opening at 8:44 p.m. PT, the base said in a launch alert.
—Eric Lagatta, AZCentral.com, 13 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for liftoff
Cite this Entry
“Liftoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/liftoff. Accessed 28 Aug. 2025.
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liftoff
noun
lift·off
ˈlif-ˌtȯf 
: a vertical takeoff (as by a rocket)
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