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: 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
Problems began shortly thereafter, when SpaceX lost touch with Starship roughly nine minutes after liftoff.
—Jason Abbruzzese, NBC News, 17 Jan. 2025
New Glenn’s liftoff was originally set for Friday after a long slog of development, then delayed for unfriendly weather, then scrubbed early Monday morning after frost developed in a purge line.
—Rob Pegoraro, PCMAG, 16 Jan. 2025
The company will webcast today's launch live via X, beginning about 10 minutes before liftoff.
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 14 Jan. 2025
Resilience is aiming to land on the moon roughly four to five months after liftoff, according to Jumpei Nozaki, Ispace’s chief financial officer.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN, 14 Jan. 2025
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Word History
First Known Use
circa 1956, in the meaning defined above
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Cite this Entry
“Liftoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/liftoff. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025.
Kids Definition
liftoff
noun
lift·off
ˈlif-ˌtȯf
: a vertical takeoff (as by a rocket)
More from Merriam-Webster on liftoff
Nglish: Translation of liftoff for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about liftoff
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