: 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
SpaceX plans to resume launches from Florida early next week with the liftoff of a resupply mission to the International Space Station.
—
Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 18 Apr. 2025
The first-stage booster made a successful 21st liftoff, but was expended to get the satellite to a geosynchronous transfer orbit.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Apr. 2025
The crew capsule will separate from the rocket three minutes after liftoff.
—Jennifer Borresen, USA Today, 13 Apr. 2025
The New Shepard booster will separate from the crew capsule 2 minutes and 40 seconds after liftoff.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 12 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for liftoff
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.
Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 18 Apr. 2025
The first-stage booster made a successful 21st liftoff, but was expended to get the satellite to a geosynchronous transfer orbit.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Apr. 2025
The crew capsule will separate from the rocket three minutes after liftoff.
—Jennifer Borresen, USA Today, 13 Apr. 2025
The New Shepard booster will separate from the crew capsule 2 minutes and 40 seconds after liftoff.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 12 Apr. 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 26 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
liftoff
noun
lift·off
ˈlif-ˌtȯf 
: a vertical takeoff (as by a rocket)
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share