take off 1 of 2

Definition of take offnext
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takeoff

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noun

1
as in launch
a rising from a surface at the start of a flight (as of a rocket) make sure your tray table is safely put away during takeoff

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in parody
a work that imitates and exaggerates another work for comic effect a sitcom that's a takeoff of an old TV show from the 1960s

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 take off
Verb
The plane was taxiing to the runway, but had not taken off yet. David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 12 Jan. 2026 Yes, amid all the celebrity and the fashion, a thread dedicated to the Golden Globes’ dinner by chef Nobu Matsuhisa had its own highlight on X after a post featuring a photo of the menu from The New York Times’ Kyle Buchanan took off. Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 12 Jan. 2026
Noun
Even if the demogorgon effects were vastly improved and the show occasionally found creative things to do with them — or entirely not-creative things, like the Jurassic Park takeoff that abandoned homage for straight-up mimicry. Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 1 Jan. 2026 In June, An Air India flight with 230 passengers and 12 crew onboard crashed in Ahmedabad, India, shortly after takeoff, killing all but one passenger on board that flight. Ayesha Ali, ABC News, 29 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for take off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for take off
Verb
  • The journey begins in Fairbanks, Alaska, and travelers spend two days exploring the city before the train departs south toward Denali National Park and Preserve.
    Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 16 Jan. 2026
  • Before departing Moscow, the young Venezuelan had obtained a letter of introduction to the PFLP from Arab fellow students who were involved with the group.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Everglades restoration involves removing as many of these dams as possible without risking flood control, while adding more reservoirs for water storage, all to revive a river of grass that flows once more.
    Amy Green, Miami Herald, 9 Jan. 2026
  • Staff immediately removed him from his cell and provided medical aid.
    Mars King, Twin Cities, 9 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • In physics — or most of physics, at any rate — energy differences are what really matters, and with care physicists can subtract one infinity from another to see what’s left.
    George Musser, Quanta Magazine, 5 Jan. 2026
  • The Patriots went just 17 yards after the turnover, with 15 yards subtracted by penalties.
    Doug Kyed, Hartford Courant, 5 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Last week, in another violent turn, Cargill took to X and Instagram to boast that a man who had attempted to rob his gun store had potentially met a violent end.
    Paul Flahive, Austin American Statesman, 12 Jan. 2026
  • Rocking, jerking, and twisting in your seat introduces momentum, which only robs you of the full benefits of the exercise.
    Jenessa Connor, Health, 11 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Monday's launch was SpaceX's fifth for the year out of 615 over the history of the company.
    Robert Z. Pearlman, Space.com, 13 Jan. 2026
  • Since launch, mission teams have guided the observatory steadily toward L1.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 13 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • The three-year Off-Broadway hit is a parody of the classic film Titanic, imagining the story as if Celine Dion were narrating it.
    Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 8 Jan. 2026
  • Maduro played the song at so many events that Chavistas (or Maduro supporters) began to claim it as pro-Maduro, even though Santana made it as a parody of the president.
    Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 6 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • In each case, agents shot at drivers or into moving cars – a practice that has largely been discouraged by law enforcement because of risks to public safety.
    Christopher Cann, USA Today, 16 Jan. 2026
  • After Strome’s goal, Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky tweaked two of his forward lines, dropping Igor Chernyshov to the third line with Michael Misa and Adam Gaudette and moving Regenda to the top line with Celebrini and Graf.
    Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 16 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Hospital officials said no one should delay treatment or put off appointments, but patients should be alert for any direct updates from their health care providers.
    Christina Fan, CBS News, 12 Jan. 2026
  • Customers are also putting off purchases due to the back and forth on tariff levels.
    Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN Money, 10 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Take off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/take%20off. Accessed 18 Jan. 2026.

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