take off 1 of 2

1
2
3
4

takeoff

2 of 2

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
His career took off when former midfielder Edu joined Arsenal’s board, initially as technical director, in 2019. Andy Naylor, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2025 After securing the ball, Mukuba took off running down the sideline. Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 14 Sep. 2025
Noun
The plane returned to the Miami airport shortly after takeoff. Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 15 Sep. 2025 Animal life finally reached takeoff some 540 million years ago. Peter Brannen, Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for take off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for take off
Verb
  • As time went on, though, Damon Wayans left after season 3, while creator/writer/star Keenen Ivory Wayans had conflicts with the network's increasing censorship and broadcasting issues and departed after the fourth season; other members of the Wayans family — Marlon, Kim, and Shawn — soon followed.
    Elliott Smith, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Sep. 2025
  • In 2020, four years after departing from her eponymous brand, Brown returned to her roots to launch Jones Road with a mission to create clean cosmetics–much to the delight of her loyal fan base.
    Ellie Davis, Vogue, 18 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • That deal was struck in lieu of a retaliatory capital tax on foreign investors that was passed in the House version of the bill but was later removed by the Senate.
    Tobias Burns, The Hill, 18 Sep. 2025
  • The latest ruling for Google in the company's antitrust case will likely remove any overhang for Alphabet shares, Piper Sandler wrote Thursday.
    Sean Conlon, CNBC, 18 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Reflect on each category, then add or subtract a dollar figure based on the level of impact your job has on that category—positive or negative.
    Renessa Boley Layne, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
  • The Boys & Girls Club donation counter Bargatze spoke ahead of the show about his effort to keep speeches on time by subtracting from a $100,000 donation to the Boys & Girls Club every time someone went over.
    Sandra Gonzalez, CNN Money, 15 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • It must also be said that, for all the lamenting of the Netherlands’ failure to win, West Germany — and Muller — were robbed of a clear goal in the second half due to an erroneous offside flag.
    Michael Cox, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2025
  • An insecure performer robs an audience of its belief in both the character and the entire enterprise.
    Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 13 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Blue-collar YouTuber In Southern California, 19-year-old HVAC technician Itzcoatl Aguilar is still on the launch pad.
    Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 14 Sep. 2025
  • In the 1990s, both Kuwait and the UAE bought hundreds of Russian BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles and BM-30 Smerch multiple launch rocket systems to augment their respective land forces.
    Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • However the season's second episode, which features a parody of Charlie Kirk, continues to be absent from the schedule.
    Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 17 Sep. 2025
  • However, this reboot is more so a parody that starts as a reboot, but is definitely not a reboot.
    James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Plants can’t move like people do, so they are exposed to the sun all day long, Fuller said.
    Saleen Martin, USA Today, 14 Sep. 2025
  • Both offenses are moving with little resistance thus far.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 14 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • When bourbon slumped in the 1980s, many distilleries put off repairs to their stills, which caused plenty of problems.
    Maggie Menderski, The Courier-Journal, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Speedrunners have also found some arcane sequence skips to get around certain bosses or methods for putting off some boss fights until later than the developers intended.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Take off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/take%20off. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on take off

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!