: a system of transporting cargo or passengers by aircraft often to or from an otherwise inaccessible area
airlift
transitive verb
Examples of airlift in a Sentence
an emergency airlift to deliver supplies to the famine victims
Recent Examples on the Web
Six workers at another quarry were rescued by airlift.
—
Chris Pandolfo, Fox News, 4 Apr. 2024
The continent must also build up its fleet of critical strategic enablers, such as drones and satellites, and develop its cyber and airlift capabilities.
—Arancha González Laya, Foreign Affairs, 2 Feb. 2024
Now we are engaged in another humanitarian airlift — this time because of the actions not of an enemy but of our partner.
—Nicholas Kristof, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2024
The highlights of her career included reporting on the liberation of the Dachau concentration camp in 1945, the Nuremberg trials from 1945 to 1946, the Berlin airlift from 1948 to 1949, and the Korean War in the early 1950s.
—Jennet Conant, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024
The importance of the economic issue faced stiff competition from the rising Cold War, the enactment of the Marshall Plan, the Berlin airlift, the formation of Israel and the subsequent First Arab-Israeli War, Mr. Truman’s decision to desegregate the military and the rise of the Dixiecrats.
—Nate Cohn, New York Times, 4 Jan. 2024
Yesterday’s flight was the UAE’s 11th humanitarian airlift since the Israel-Hamas war began with the Oct. 7 attacks.
—NBC News, 1 Feb. 2024
Their deterrent value during the Berlin airlift in 1948 changed his mind and triggered a debate over the best declaratory policy.
—Christian Schneider, National Review, 21 Dec. 2023
Reeling from early battlefield setbacks, Israel pleaded for an emergency airlift of U.S. weapons and other equipment.
—Thomas W. Lippman, Washington Post, 30 Nov. 2023
Chris Pandolfo, Fox News, 4 Apr. 2024
The continent must also build up its fleet of critical strategic enablers, such as drones and satellites, and develop its cyber and airlift capabilities.
—Arancha González Laya, Foreign Affairs, 2 Feb. 2024
Now we are engaged in another humanitarian airlift — this time because of the actions not of an enemy but of our partner.
—Nicholas Kristof, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2024
The highlights of her career included reporting on the liberation of the Dachau concentration camp in 1945, the Nuremberg trials from 1945 to 1946, the Berlin airlift from 1948 to 1949, and the Korean War in the early 1950s.
—Jennet Conant, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024
The importance of the economic issue faced stiff competition from the rising Cold War, the enactment of the Marshall Plan, the Berlin airlift, the formation of Israel and the subsequent First Arab-Israeli War, Mr. Truman’s decision to desegregate the military and the rise of the Dixiecrats.
—Nate Cohn, New York Times, 4 Jan. 2024
Yesterday’s flight was the UAE’s 11th humanitarian airlift since the Israel-Hamas war began with the Oct. 7 attacks.
—NBC News, 1 Feb. 2024
Their deterrent value during the Berlin airlift in 1948 changed his mind and triggered a debate over the best declaratory policy.
—Christian Schneider, National Review, 21 Dec. 2023
Reeling from early battlefield setbacks, Israel pleaded for an emergency airlift of U.S. weapons and other equipment.
—Thomas W. Lippman, Washington Post, 30 Nov. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'airlift.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1943, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near airlift
Cite this Entry
“Airlift.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/airlift. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
airlift
noun
air·lift
ˈa(ə)r-ˌlift 
ˈe(ə)r-
: a system of transporting cargo or passengers by aircraft to or from an area otherwise impossible to reach
airlift
verb
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