: 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 satisfyingly noisy sense of liftoff that ensues undoubtedly took a painstaking, iterative process of writing, recording, and mixing to achieve.
—
Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 24 Feb. 2026
Artemis 2 – the first human spaceflight under NASA's multibillion-dollar program – appeared on track for a March liftoff after the mission last slipped from February following the first preflight fueling test.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 23 Feb. 2026
The May 6 attempt was scrubbed two hours before liftoff because of valve on ULA’s upper Centaur stage that teams continue to investigate.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Feb. 2026
This upper stage is essential for placing the Orion crew capsule into the proper high-altitude orbit around Earth for checkout, following liftoff.
—Marcia Dunn, Chicago Tribune, 21 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for liftoff
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Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 24 Feb. 2026
Artemis 2 – the first human spaceflight under NASA's multibillion-dollar program – appeared on track for a March liftoff after the mission last slipped from February following the first preflight fueling test.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 23 Feb. 2026
The May 6 attempt was scrubbed two hours before liftoff because of valve on ULA’s upper Centaur stage that teams continue to investigate.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Feb. 2026
This upper stage is essential for placing the Orion crew capsule into the proper high-altitude orbit around Earth for checkout, following liftoff.
—Marcia Dunn, Chicago Tribune, 21 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 27 Feb. 2026.
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liftoff
noun
lift·off
ˈlif-ˌtȯf 
: a vertical takeoff (as by a rocket)
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