launchpads

plural of launchpad
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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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 launchpads With history, culture, and great places to eat, these quaint spots are ideal launchpads for exploring the natural beauty of the Golden State. Chelsee Lowe, Travel + Leisure, 1 July 2026 The room is supposed to be a charming gathering nook where my family can hang out, not a control room outfitted with complex launchpads. Jill Kargman, Architectural Digest, 16 June 2026 At that point, SpaceX had two launchpads, allowing the company to return to flight in January 2017. Wendy Whitman Cobb, The Conversation, 29 May 2026 Gates 5 and 10 are the only launchpads for more than 10 percent of Kentucky Derby winners. Peter Keating, New York Times, 1 May 2026 College graduates earn significantly higher lifetime incomes, have access to better healthcare, and are far more likely to achieve upward social mobility — because their degrees serve as proxies for experience and are favored by employers, these credentials are career launchpads. CBS News, 19 Jan. 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for launchpads
Noun
  • Shorts leave me too cold in airports, while full-length pants can pick up dirt and grime from terminal floors.
    Jeaneen Russell, PEOPLE, 2 Aug. 2026
  • In a statement to CBS News, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed that immigration enforcement at airports has increased.
    Adam Thompson, CBS News, 31 July 2026
Noun
  • Thursday was a different kind of day because, without pads, there’s not as much of a true line play evaluation to be had.
    Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The Bucs have started practicing in full pads this week, which is another important step for Walker.
    Rick Stroud, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • These were quick to convert and quick to put to sea in sufficient numbers to protect convoys far from the defense of any airfields.
    David Szondy July 21, New Atlas, 22 July 2026
  • After several of the most dramatic strikes—against Russian oil refineries, military airfields, weapons factories—President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the company and its engineers.
    Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 17 July 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

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Cite this Entry

“Launchpads.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/launchpads. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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