often attributive
1
a
: a firework consisting of a case partly filled with a combustible composition fastened to a guiding stick and propelled through the air by the rearward discharge of the gases liberated by combustion
b
: a similar device used as an incendiary weapon or as a propelling unit (as for a lifesaving line)
2
: a jet engine that operates on the same principle as the firework rocket, consists essentially of a combustion chamber and an exhaust nozzle, carries either liquid or solid propellants which provide the fuel and oxygen needed for combustion and thus make the engine independent of the oxygen of the air, and is used especially for the propulsion of a missile (such as a bomb or shell) or a vehicle (such as an airplane)
3
: a rocket-propelled bomb, missile, projectile, or vehicle
rocketed; rocketing; rockets
: to convey or propel by means of or as if by a rocket
1
: to rise up swiftly, spectacularly, and with force
rocketed to the top of the list
2
: to travel rapidly in or as if in a rocket
Synonyms
Verb
- barrel
- belt
- blast
- blaze
- blow
- bolt
- bomb [slang]
- bowl
- breeze
- bundle
- bustle
- buzz
- cannonball
- careen
- career
- chase
- course
- crack (on)
- dash
- drive
- fly
- hare
- hasten
- hie
- highball
- hotfoot (it)
- hump
- hurl
- hurry
- hurtle
- hustle
- jet
- jump
- motor
- nip
- pelt
- race
- ram
- rip
- run
- rush
- rustle
- scoot
- scurry
- scuttle
- shoot
- speed
- step
- tear
- travel
- trot
- whirl
- whisk
- zip
- zoom
Examples of rocket in a Sentence
Verb
Sales rocketed from 1,000 units last week to 5,000 units this week.
The train rocketed through the tunnel.
The spacecraft rocketed into outer space.
Her novel rocketed to the top of the best-seller list.
Their album rocketed up the charts.
His role in the movie rocketed him to fame.
Recent Examples on the Web
Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 7 May 2024
The Atlas 5, making its 100th flight, is an extremely reliable rocket with a perfect launch record.
—William Harwood, CBS News, 7 May 2024
The launch of Boeing’s Starliner capsule to the International Space Station was scrubbed Monday evening due to a malfunctioning valve on the Atlas V rocket that would blast it into space.
—Laurence Darmiento, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2024
Tensions escalated Sunday when Hamas fired rockets at Israeli troops positioned on the border with Gaza near Israel’s main crossing for delivering humanitarian aid, killing four soldiers.
—Zeke Miller, Fortune, 6 May 2024
The Crew Flight Test mission is scheduled to launch on an Atlas V rocket at 10:34 pm eastern time and begin a 25-hour journey to the International Space Station, where its two passengers—Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams—will dock and spend about a week on board before returning home.
—Jonathan O'Callaghan, WIRED, 6 May 2024
On Sunday, Hamas fired roughly 10 rockets from the area of the Rafah border crossing, killing three soldiers near the Kerem Shalom crossing, according to Israel’s military.
—Adam Rasgon, New York Times, 5 May 2024
The solar sail mission launched on April 23 on board Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket from New Zealand.
—Passant Rabie / Gizmodo, Quartz, 2 May 2024
In one case from 2022, a trio of magnet fishermen entered a Georgia military base and pulled dozens of rockets, large-caliber ammunition, and other explosives out of a river.
—Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 24 Apr. 2024
Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 26 Apr. 2024
In March, after their own IPOs, the social media company Reddit saw its shares gain 48% and those of chip firm Astera Labs rocketed 72%.
—María Soledad Davila Calero, Fortune, 25 Apr. 2024
As dystopian, ground-pounding carnage dominates the trailer, Lopez rockets off to a far-off planet to capture a renegade robot and teams up with a computer program named Smith in what appears, at times, like buddy comedy.
—Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Apr. 2024
Stocks are no longer rocketing straight to the heavens.
—Jeff Sommer, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2024
The stock had rocketed higher in recent months in anticipation of merging a blank-check acquisition company with Trump’s media business.
—Krystal Hur, CNN, 15 Apr. 2024
In California, that rockets up to at least a 10-1 ratio, per Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies.
—Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2024
With Sinclair’s guidance, the MC5 rocketed to fame, signing a contract with Elektra Records and winding up on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine in January 1969.
—Bill McGraw, Detroit Free Press, 2 Apr. 2024
Gold prices rocketed as investors sought to buy up the precious metal, which many thought would be a safer investment during rocky economic times.
—Simeon Tegel, NPR, 2 Apr. 2024
Noun
But about two hours before the capsule perched atop an Atlas V rocket built by United Launch Alliance could liftoff from the Kennedy Space Station, mission managers scrubbed the flight.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 7 May 2024
The Atlas 5, making its 100th flight, is an extremely reliable rocket with a perfect launch record.
—William Harwood, CBS News, 7 May 2024
The launch of Boeing’s Starliner capsule to the International Space Station was scrubbed Monday evening due to a malfunctioning valve on the Atlas V rocket that would blast it into space.
—Laurence Darmiento, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2024
Tensions escalated Sunday when Hamas fired rockets at Israeli troops positioned on the border with Gaza near Israel’s main crossing for delivering humanitarian aid, killing four soldiers.
—Zeke Miller, Fortune, 6 May 2024
The Crew Flight Test mission is scheduled to launch on an Atlas V rocket at 10:34 pm eastern time and begin a 25-hour journey to the International Space Station, where its two passengers—Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams—will dock and spend about a week on board before returning home.
—Jonathan O'Callaghan, WIRED, 6 May 2024
On Sunday, Hamas fired roughly 10 rockets from the area of the Rafah border crossing, killing three soldiers near the Kerem Shalom crossing, according to Israel’s military.
—Adam Rasgon, New York Times, 5 May 2024
The solar sail mission launched on April 23 on board Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket from New Zealand.
—Passant Rabie / Gizmodo, Quartz, 2 May 2024
In one case from 2022, a trio of magnet fishermen entered a Georgia military base and pulled dozens of rockets, large-caliber ammunition, and other explosives out of a river.
—Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 24 Apr. 2024
Verb
Thanks to this setup, the car can rocket from zero to 60 mph in 2.5 seconds on its way to a top speed of 253 mph.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 26 Apr. 2024
In March, after their own IPOs, the social media company Reddit saw its shares gain 48% and those of chip firm Astera Labs rocketed 72%.
—María Soledad Davila Calero, Fortune, 25 Apr. 2024
As dystopian, ground-pounding carnage dominates the trailer, Lopez rockets off to a far-off planet to capture a renegade robot and teams up with a computer program named Smith in what appears, at times, like buddy comedy.
—Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Apr. 2024
Stocks are no longer rocketing straight to the heavens.
—Jeff Sommer, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2024
The stock had rocketed higher in recent months in anticipation of merging a blank-check acquisition company with Trump’s media business.
—Krystal Hur, CNN, 15 Apr. 2024
In California, that rockets up to at least a 10-1 ratio, per Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies.
—Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2024
With Sinclair’s guidance, the MC5 rocketed to fame, signing a contract with Elektra Records and winding up on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine in January 1969.
—Bill McGraw, Detroit Free Press, 2 Apr. 2024
Gold prices rocketed as investors sought to buy up the precious metal, which many thought would be a safer investment during rocky economic times.
—Simeon Tegel, NPR, 2 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rocket.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near rocket
Cite this Entry
“Rocket.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rocket. Accessed 10 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
rocket
1 of 2 noun
rock·et
ˈräk-ət 
1
: a firework that is driven through the air by the gases produced by a burning substance
2
: a jet engine that operates like a firework rocket but carries its own oxygen for burning the fuel and is therefore able to run without the oxygen of the air
3
: an object (as a missile) that is driven by a rocket
rocket
2 of 2 verb1
: to transport by a rocket
rocket a satellite into orbit
2
: to rise swiftly
a singer who rocketed to stardom
3
: to travel rapidly in or as if in a rocket
Etymology
Noun
from Italian rocchetta, literally "a small stick or rod on which wool is held for spinning," from rocca "distaff"; probably so called because of its shape
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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