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

A couple of hours before the balloon's liftoff from the Tuileries, the area was already packed. — Hannah Bloch, NPR, 9 Sep. 2026

After liftoff, the V-2 started tilting midair and only made it to an altitude of 15,000 feet (4,600 meters) before falling back to Earth. — Tariq Malik, Space.com, 6 Sep. 2026

The Spectrum rocket faltered on its first test flight in March 2025, when the launcher spun out of control less than 20 seconds after liftoff and crashed near the launch pad. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 6 Sep. 2026

The Dragon will be perched atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, which will provide the initial burst of thrust at liftoff to get the vehicle and its crew into space. — Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 1 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)