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 At the same time, Venice remains one of the fall’s key launchpads for prestige movies, awards hopefuls and international titles looking to build momentum with distributors and buyers. Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 1 Sep. 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for launchpads
Noun
  • The incident forced the closure of one of the nation's busiest airports.
    Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Saudi Arabia has promised to build desalination plants and two airports, and invest in telecommunications projects worth more than $1 billion.
    The Week UK, TheWeek, 6 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • On Sunday, the 6-foot-5 goaltender was wearing Stuart Skinner’s skates and Connor Ingram’s glove, blocker, pads and mask.
    Janson Duench, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Tariffs on cement, road salt and hospital pads were removed and replaced with duties on all-terrain vehicles, some cheeses and motorboats.
    Steve Kopack, NBC news, 9 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • By 2024, they were regularly being used to strike Russian airfields, ammunition depots and oil refineries.
    Aidan Stretch, CBS News, 8 Sep. 2026
  • The network of pipelines and refineries necessary for military airfields, for example, was foundational for the petrolization of societies.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 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 17 Sep. 2026.

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