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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Recent Examples of launchpad
Toons boom across the Croisette this year, with colorful features opening Critics’ Week, closing Directors’ Fortnight, and appearing across nearly every section — further cementing Cannes’ status as a premier launchpad for animated cinema.
—
Ben Croll, Variety, 18 May 2026
One year ago, the tournament was a critical launchpad for Jeremy Swayman to reset.
—Fluto Shinzawa, New York Times, 15 May 2026
On March 9, the brand debuted its first-ever physical flagship store globally, choosing Houston as the launchpad for a massive 32,000-square-foot retail experiment.
—Lucy Jones
may 12, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 May 2026
SeriesFest and Shondaland also partnered on the seventh cycle of the Women Directing Mentorship, a competition designed to discover aspiring female directors with a unique voice and provide a launchpad for their careers.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for launchpad
Ben Croll, Variety, 18 May 2026
One year ago, the tournament was a critical launchpad for Jeremy Swayman to reset.
—Fluto Shinzawa, New York Times, 15 May 2026
On March 9, the brand debuted its first-ever physical flagship store globally, choosing Houston as the launchpad for a massive 32,000-square-foot retail experiment.
—Lucy Jones
may 12, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 May 2026
SeriesFest and Shondaland also partnered on the seventh cycle of the Women Directing Mentorship, a competition designed to discover aspiring female directors with a unique voice and provide a launchpad for their careers.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for launchpad
Recent Examples of Synonyms for launchpad
Noun
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Others pushed back and argued the blue object was simply Clark's bench seat pad, not some AI glitch.—
Dan Zaksheske OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
31 May 2026
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Despite the fact it was built in 2024, the couple still wanted the floor plan and interior design of their new pad to be completely reconfigured.—
Nicolas Milon,
Architectural Digest,
30 May 2026
Noun
-
Baresi flunked a trial in Linate, near the city’s airport, where the academy players used to train.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
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Passengers traveling to the US who have been in the DRC, Uganda or South Sudan in the previous 21 days must land in Atlanta, Houston or the Dulles airport outside Washington for health screenings.—
Deidre McPhillips,
CNN Money,
27 May 2026
Noun
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Those who don’t want to drive to Roy’s can actually fly into the desert landing strip behind the cafe (which was apparently one of California’s first airfields of any kind).—
Joe Yogerst,
CNN Money,
27 May 2026
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As reported, Russian assets tend to use the same airfields during operations and tend to follow the same, or a limited set of patrol routes.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
25 May 2026
Noun
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Fifty-seven-year-old Keiron Beau James Hedges was charged with one count of threatening to destroy, damage, or endanger the safety of a Commonwealth aerodrome.—
Christopher Edwards,
PEOPLE,
24 Apr. 2026
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While a lot of the Garmin D2 Mach 2 Pro’s features are shared with Garmin’s other top watches, the Mach line also provides flight-first features too, including an airport database and aerodrome reports.—
Andrew Williams,
Forbes.com,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Launchpad.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/launchpad. Accessed 2 Jun. 2026.
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