as in pad
an area from which a rocket is launched
—often used figuratively
The TV cameras were focused on the launchpad as the time for liftoff approached. The program she hosted on local radio was the launchpad for her network career.
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Recent Examples of launchpad
But crews onsite at the center evaluated launch facilities after the storm and cleared the spacecraft to return to the launchpad.
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Ashley Strickland, CNN, 14 Oct. 2024
The post in part criticized reports that SpaceX violated environmental regulations by using the Starship launchpad's water deluge system in Texas without authorization.
—Michael Sheetz, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2024
Recommended Hope In the shadow of war, life begins anew in a Congolese maternity ward
An attempt to launch last month was postponed hours before liftoff over a small helium leak in ground equipment on SpaceX’s launchpad.
—Joey Roulette and Gerry Doyle, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 Sep. 2024
These institutions serve as launchpads, providing the resources, support, and community that enable Black students to not only envision their futures but also to shape them boldly.
—Quincy Green, Billboard, 9 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for launchpad 
Ashley Strickland, CNN, 14 Oct. 2024
The post in part criticized reports that SpaceX violated environmental regulations by using the Starship launchpad's water deluge system in Texas without authorization.
—Michael Sheetz, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2024
Recommended Hope In the shadow of war, life begins anew in a Congolese maternity ward
An attempt to launch last month was postponed hours before liftoff over a small helium leak in ground equipment on SpaceX’s launchpad.
—Joey Roulette and Gerry Doyle, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 Sep. 2024
These institutions serve as launchpads, providing the resources, support, and community that enable Black students to not only envision their futures but also to shape them boldly.
—Quincy Green, Billboard, 9 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for launchpad
Recent Examples of Synonyms for launchpad
Noun
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One, Manning, 5 feet 8, who runs like a steam engine in pads, is not to be impeded, nor are his teammates, who routed Newington, 50-0 on Sunday.Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 8 Dec. 2024
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Launch Complex 39 includes three launch pads — 39A, 39B, 39C — as well as the formidable Vehicle Assembly Building, the Launch Control Center and the famed countdown clock.Dewayne Bevil, Orlando Sentinel, 6 Dec. 2024
Noun
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All flights grounded Damage to the seaport and airport is likely to hamper aid efforts and economic recovery in a country dependent on agricultural exports and tourism.Charlotte Graham-McLay, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2024
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Those travelers now are using airports in New York or Boston.Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 18 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Picture transport ships from China facing incoming anti-ship missiles; missile strikes blowing holes in airfields and key military installations; hilltop-to-hilltop fighting over rugged mountainous terrain; and urban warfare amid the skyscrapers of densely populated cities.Joshua Keating, Vox, 16 Dec. 2024
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The airfield at Taganrog, in southern Russia fewer than 100 miles from the front line in Ukraine, is a favorite target for Ukraine’s growing arsenal of deep-strike munitions.David Axe, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
Noun
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The aim is to commercialize both piloted and autonomous civilian aircraft and the $1.4 billion will be spent creating a city-wide infrastructure for flying vehicles, with over 100 take-off and landing points in Guangzhou, a large general aviation aerodrome and a fleet of airborne taxis.Mike Hanlon, New Atlas, 13 Aug. 2024
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And a huge concrete area that looked like an aerodrome was awaiting rebuilding as a new suburb.Charlie Hobbs, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 May 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near launchpad
Cite this Entry
“Launchpad.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/launchpad. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.
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