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helicopter 1 of 2

noun

ˈhe-lə-ˌkäp-tər How to pronounce helicopter (audio)
Definition of helicopternext
as in chopper
a vehicle for traveling through the air that obtains its lift from rotors which spin horizontally took a helicopter tour to get a better sense of the grandeur of the Grand Canyon

Synonyms & Similar Words

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helicopter

2 of 2

verb

as in to jet

Related Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of helicopter
Noun
Within 45 minutes of Corle’s 911 call, a team of rescuers from Fort Wainwright’s 68th Medical Company Air Ambulance was airborne on a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter and headed south. — Jan Thacker, Outdoor Life, 3 Sep. 2026 There was speculation that a helicopter or small plane had gone off course. — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 3 Sep. 2026
Verb
Troops would need to collect the material from several places, secure an airstrip near each, truck or helicopter the equipment and material to and from the strip, and defend against attacks on the preparations and shipments. — Matthew Bunn, The Conversation, 17 Mar. 2026 Workers have reported feeling hungry, frustrated and mistreated, with some now discussing paying out of their own pockets to helicopter a food drop into the remote area. — Latoya Gayle, PEOPLE, 20 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for helicopter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for helicopter
  1. chopper
  2. jet
  3. rocket
  4. catapult
  5. orbit
Noun
  • The Giants won in the bottom of the inning when Shay Whitcomb followed a sacrifice bunt with a chopper to shortstop that was placed well enough to score automatic runner Nate Furman with the winning run.
    — Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Following Drew Cavanaugh’s sacrifice bunt, a high chopper to the left side of the infield by Whitcomb allowed rookie Nate Furman, the automatic runner, to score the winning run from third base with ease.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of chopper
Verb
  • The days of American backpackers jetting across Europe for $20 per ticket on Ryanair could be ending soon—according to Ryanair.
    — Mia Osmonbekov, Fortune, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Such is the type of clientele usually jetting off to this northern corner of Madagascar, which is so remote that Miavana's island base, Nosy Ankao, is only reachable by helicopter from the Nosy Be or Diego-Suárez airports.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of jet
Verb
  • The Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbled 631 points and the 2-year Treasury yield, the security most sensitive to Fed rate expectations, rocketed more than 7 basis points higher.
    — Jeff Cox, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2026
  • News that the Houthis had captured strategic Red Sea locations helped send oil prices rocketing on Thursday.
    — Anna Cooban, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of rocket
Verb
  • The experience catapulted Moody into not just the Fringe, but the wider London theater ecosystem, eventually leading to her big break with Fleabag in 2013.
    — Rebecca Rosman, NPR, 14 Sep. 2026
  • The power of those two songs catapulted Kings of Leon from hellraising upstarts who opened for rock giants like U2, the Rolling Stones, and Pearl Jam in the mid-aughts to global stardom.
    — Daniel Kohn, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of catapult
Verb
  • Astronomers have witnessed a small, icy body that orbits the sun out beyond Jupiter transforming into a comet, providing a missing link between comets and inert bodies called centaurs.
    — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Happily—if that’s the right word to use—there are probably no planets orbiting S301.
    — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of orbit

Browse Nearby Words

helical
helicopter
helicoptered
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Cite this Entry

“Helicopter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/helicopter. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on helicopter

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about helicopter

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