: 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
Put another way, past declines only built a larger base for the eventual liftoff.
—
Bret Kenwell, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024
This mission utilizes a reusable first-stage booster, the engines responsible for liftoff that detach from the rest of the rocket once the spacecraft leaves Earth's atmosphere.
—Brenna Gauchat, The Arizona Republic, 5 Sep. 2024
Another liftoff attempt was scheduled for October 13, but the mission was delayed again due to a problem with the vehicle’s GPS.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 24 Oct. 2024
Faced with the possibility of being marooned on the lunar surface for eternity — and just hours away from scheduled liftoff — the two men let NASA engineers try and solve the problem and took a five-hour nap.
—Johnny Dodd, People.com, 21 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for liftoff 
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Bret Kenwell, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024
This mission utilizes a reusable first-stage booster, the engines responsible for liftoff that detach from the rest of the rocket once the spacecraft leaves Earth's atmosphere.
—Brenna Gauchat, The Arizona Republic, 5 Sep. 2024
Another liftoff attempt was scheduled for October 13, but the mission was delayed again due to a problem with the vehicle’s GPS.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 24 Oct. 2024
Faced with the possibility of being marooned on the lunar surface for eternity — and just hours away from scheduled liftoff — the two men let NASA engineers try and solve the problem and took a five-hour nap.
—Johnny Dodd, People.com, 21 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for liftoff
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Dictionary Entries Near liftoff
Cite this Entry
“Liftoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/liftoff. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.
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liftoff
noun
lift·off
ˈlif-ˌtȯf 
: a vertical takeoff (as by a rocket)
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