: a vertical takeoff by an aircraft or a rocket vehicle or missile
Examples of liftoff in a Sentence
a series of successful liftoffs
Thousand of spectators gathered to watch the liftoff of the space shuttle.
Recent Examples on the Web
The May 6 attempt was scrubbed two hours before liftoff because of valve on ULA’s upper Centaur stage that teams continue to investigate.
—
Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 July 2025
Here, in alphabetical order by act’s name, are tunes by the two of them along with 23 more of the best songs of 2025 so far (including a few that came out late last year but didn’t achieve true liftoff until more recently).
—Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2025
Ships launched on test flights in January and March spun out of control minutes after liftoff, scattering debris over the sea, and in at least one case, onto a car in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
—ArsTechnica, 19 June 2025
Following liftoff and a brief voyage through outer space, the astronauts selected for a private mission known as Axiom Mission 4 are due to spend about 14 days at the International Space Station.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for liftoff
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Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 July 2025
Here, in alphabetical order by act’s name, are tunes by the two of them along with 23 more of the best songs of 2025 so far (including a few that came out late last year but didn’t achieve true liftoff until more recently).
—Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2025
Ships launched on test flights in January and March spun out of control minutes after liftoff, scattering debris over the sea, and in at least one case, onto a car in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
—ArsTechnica, 19 June 2025
Following liftoff and a brief voyage through outer space, the astronauts selected for a private mission known as Axiom Mission 4 are due to spend about 14 days at the International Space Station.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for liftoff
Cite this Entry
“Liftoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/liftoff. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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liftoff
noun
lift·off
ˈlif-ˌtȯf 
: a vertical takeoff (as by a rocket)
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