launchpad

Definition of launchpadnext
as in pad
an area from which a rocket is launched
—often used figuratively
The TV cameras were focused on the launchpad as the time for liftoff approached. The program she hosted on local radio was the launchpad for her network career.

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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 launchpad But for Benoit, celebrity dressing was the launchpad, not the destination. — Footwear News, 20 Oct. 2026 Blue Origin has been aggressively restoring the launchpad with a goal of returning New Glenn to flight by the end of 2026. — Annie Palmer, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026 Now in its 19th year, Venture Atlanta has established itself as a premier launchpad for dozens of profitable companies across the region. — La'tasha Givens, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026 Namkoong, who was once a Mise-en-scène breakout herself, described the festival as a launchpad for the next generation of Korean directors. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for launchpad
Recent Examples of Synonyms for launchpad
Noun
  • Another bid proposal, amounting to a little under $900,000, for synthetic turf and a goal post pad for a practice field at Neuqua, was also approved Monday.
    — Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 13 Nov. 2026
  • The combined 407-foot Super Heavy booster and Starship spacecraft will lift off from the pad, and about six minutes later, the first-stage booster will return to the launch site for the tower's mechanical arms to attempt a catch.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 Nov. 2026
Noun
  • Designed for demanding missions where airports may be unavailable, the M1 Hybrid is being developed in a cargo configuration designated M1-HC, with a five-foot-wide cargo door.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Assessing security threats and implementing aviation security measures primarily falls to national authorities, working in coordination with airport operators, airlines and law enforcement.
    — Jenni Reid, CNBC, 7 Nov. 2026
Noun
  • O’Hare last year had the busiest airfield in the world, according to the Airports Council International World.
    — Talia Soglin, Chicago Tribune, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Mounting Citadel on a vehicle could allow operators to move the system between airfields, industrial facilities, military sites, and other locations as threats change.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 6 Nov. 2026
Noun
  • The former often requires irregular cargo like radar systems, missile launchers, helicopters, engineering gear, bridge-laying equipment, etc, delivered to areas with no existing aerodromes.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 5 July 2026
  • Jean-Christophe Verhaegen / AFP via Getty Images The aircraft, registered in Germany, crashed in a grassy area near the runway of the Nancy-Essey aerodrome, close to a residential area and two roads, an AFP journalist reported.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 28 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Launchpad.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/launchpad. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.

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