as in airports
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 launchpads
The majority of the biggest rounds across the sector have been for startups based in those two countries, with both emerging as key launchpads into new markets and battlefield training.
—
Kai Nicol-Schwarz, CNBC, 11 Dec. 2025
Once reliable job launchpads in gateway fields such as finance, consulting, and journalism now routinely demand two or more years of prior experience.
—Bruno V. Manno, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Or the way Karl Lagerfeld turned Grand Palais into supermarkets, icebergs, and rocket launchpads.
—Karissa Mitchell, Essence, 17 Aug. 2025
Kai Nicol-Schwarz, CNBC, 11 Dec. 2025
Once reliable job launchpads in gateway fields such as finance, consulting, and journalism now routinely demand two or more years of prior experience.
—Bruno V. Manno, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Or the way Karl Lagerfeld turned Grand Palais into supermarkets, icebergs, and rocket launchpads.
—Karissa Mitchell, Essence, 17 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for launchpads
Noun
-
Just south of those areas, a debilitating and destructive ice storm that will undoubtedly shut down airports and entire cities for days leaving millions without power.—
Terry Eliasen,
CBS News,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Delta, for example, announced any flights in or out of affected airports could be changed with no fee through the Delta app or online.—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Once the pads came on, Suamataia took virtually every first-team rep at left tackle.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Even one of the greatest ever to play this game, Joe Root, could not work out how to break free of the 36-year-old’s shackles here, failing to score a single run off him for 23 balls in a row before finally yielding to the python-like grip when missing one that homed in on his pads.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Since 2014, the Russian military has opened several military bases in the Arctic and worked on reconstructing airfields.—
Danica Kirka,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Perhaps Ukraine’s biggest drone success in 2025 was Operation Spider, a complex covert operation that saw shipping containers placed within FPV range of Russia’s heavy bomber airfields in Siberia.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
28 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Launchpads.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/launchpads. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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