Synonyms of liftoff

liftoff

noun

ˈlift-ˌȯf 

as in launch

a rising from a surface at the start of a flight (as of a rocket)

everyone was quiet in the control room as they waited for lift-off

Synonyms & Similar Words

• launch
• takeoff
• blastoff
• ascent

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• landing
• crash
• splashdown

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of liftoff

The story of Superman’s young cousin never achieved liftoff, brought down by miserable reviews and a lack of familiarity with Krypton’s far less famous refugee. — Brent Lang, Variety, 16 July 2026

And when engines light, SpaceX has to fire off its water deluge system, which showers the launchpad with hundreds of thousands of gallons of water in mere moments to shield the vital infrastructure from the blaze of liftoff. — Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 16 July 2026

SpaceX will have a 90-minute window in which to launch Starship, with a livestream of the rocket beginning some 30 minutes before liftoff on X and SpaceX’s website. — Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 16 July 2026

The rocket is the most powerful to ever launch to space with nearly 17 million pounds of thrust at liftoff, nearly doubling the power of NASA’s Space Launch System rocket. — Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 July 2026