test-fly

verb

ˈtest-ˌflī 

test-flew ˈtest-ˌflü  ; test-flown ˈtest-ˌflōn  ; test-flying

transitive verb

: to subject to a flight test

test-fly an experimental plane

Examples of test-fly in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

If all goes well, the team plans to test-fly the hybrid-propulsion Saab 340 in the mid-2020s. — Amy Jankovsky, IEEE Spectrum, 30 Nov. 2023

The team verified this by test-flying various rectangular sheets of paper, changing the front weight by adding thin metallic tape to one edge. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 14 Nov. 2023

The Germans had first test-flown a jet aircraft in 1939, just days before World War II began. — USA Today, 6 May 2026

The plan was for a brisk and breezy mission—test-flying Boeing’s brand-new Starliner spacecraft up to the ISS for a short eight-day cruise. — Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 13 Aug. 2024

Stoke is the only company besides SpaceX that seems close to actually test-flying a fully reusable rocket. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 7 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1936, in the meaning defined above