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
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
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
-
Four airports in Poland were temporarily closed during the incursion.—
George Petras,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Some Polish airports, including the capital’s main international airport, Warsaw Chopin, were temporarily closed due to military activity.—
Sam Meredith,
CNBC,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Linebacker Carson Schwesinger is a demon in thigh pads.—
Jason Lloyd,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
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The Federal Aviation Administration issued a record of decision on Wednesday approving SpaceX's plan to more than double the number of Falcon 9 launches from Space Launch Complex-40 (SLC-40), the busiest of the company's four operational launch pads.—
Eric Berger,
ArsTechnica,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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In June, Ukrainian forces destroyed or damaged dozens of Russian aircraft using small drones that were smuggled to the vicinity of Russian military airfields in trucks.—
Svitlana Vlasova,
CNN Money,
29 Aug. 2025
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The details matter as Emirates faces competition not just from Gulf rivals but also from private jets, which offer privacy and the hassle-free convenience of small airfields.—
Mohammed Sergie,
semafor.com,
27 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Launchpads.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/launchpads. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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