: 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 New Shepard capsule touched down about 10-and-a-half minutes after liftoff.
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William Harwood, CBS News, 20 Dec. 2025
New Shepard flights are suborbital and brief, lasting just 10 to 12 minutes from liftoff to capsule touchdown.
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 18 Dec. 2025
Each spaceflight on a New Shepard vehicle lasts about 11 minutes from liftoff to capsule touchdown.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 17 Dec. 2025
Blue Origin will stream the launch live, with coverage typically starting around 40 minutes before liftoff.
—Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 12 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for liftoff
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William Harwood, CBS News, 20 Dec. 2025
New Shepard flights are suborbital and brief, lasting just 10 to 12 minutes from liftoff to capsule touchdown.
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 18 Dec. 2025
Each spaceflight on a New Shepard vehicle lasts about 11 minutes from liftoff to capsule touchdown.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 17 Dec. 2025
Blue Origin will stream the launch live, with coverage typically starting around 40 minutes before liftoff.
—Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 12 Dec. 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 23 Dec. 2025.
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liftoff
noun
lift·off
ˈlif-ˌtȯf 
: a vertical takeoff (as by a rocket)
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