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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 liftoff How to watch the launch A live broadcast of the launch will begin approximately 15 minutes before liftoff on the Blue Origin website, or in the livestream at the top of this post. Emlyn Travis, EW.com, 14 Apr. 2025 The rocket's Centaur upper stage released the satellites at an altitude of 280 miles (450 kilometers) less than an hour after liftoff. Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 3 May 2025 Related: Europe's Vega-C rocket launches Earth-observation satellite on 1st liftoff since 2022 failure (video) If all goes according to plan on Tuesday, the Vega-C will deploy Biomass into a sun-synchronous orbit 414 miles (666 kilometers) above Earth about 57 minutes after liftoff. Mike Wall, Space.com, 29 Apr. 2025 Watch live above as the crew heads off to the final frontier, and read on to learn more about their historic liftoff. Emlyn Travis, EW.com, 14 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for liftoff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for liftoff
Noun
  • While working in South America, the Neapolitan engineer oversaw the launch of a plant in Brazil that made Jeep the country’s top-selling SUV brand.
    Mark Phelan, USA Today, 20 May 2025
  • The launch, announced at Microsoft’s Build developer conference in Seattle, shows that the technology company wants to make AI a more natural part of the process of enhancing software.
    Jordan Novet, CNBC, 19 May 2025
Noun
  • At these airports, the FAA allocates specific takeoff and landing slots to airlines.
    Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 9 May 2025
  • Since its maiden flight in 2021, the first prototype has completed 170 flight hours, with more than 500 takeoffs and landings.
    Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 8 May 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Liftoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/liftoff. Accessed 23 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on liftoff

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!