surface-to-air

adjective

sur·​face-to-air ˈsər-fəs-ˌtü-ˈer 

: launched from the ground against a target in the air

Examples of surface-to-air in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There are cool weapons, like a lethal surface-to-air dragon harpoon. — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 22 June 2026

Militias had never fired surface-to-air missiles that could have threatened the aircraft, according to their assessment. — Shane Harris, The Atlantic, 19 May 2026

Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down by Russian separatists with a surface-to-air missile over eastern Ukraine, killing 298 passengers and crew members. — USA Today, 29 June 2026

After having its air force decimated by a surprise Israeli air offensive in the June 1967 war, Cairo invested more heavily in its surface-to-air missile arsenal. — Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1949, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for surface-to-air

• extraordinaire
• multimillionaire
• abwehr
• affair
• affaire
• airfare
• altair
• armchair
• aware
• beware
• bugbear
• carfare