lift off

Idioms

Begin flight, as in The spacecraft was due to lift off at ten o'clock. The off in this idiom means “off the ground.” [Late 1800s]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

As the ice thinned, this smooth foundation allowed large sections to lift off the ground and float, triggering an unusual and sudden calving event.

From Science Daily • Feb. 26, 2026

Another member of the ESA's 2022 astronaut class, Belgium's Raphael Liegeois, told AFP he felt "raw emotion" watching Adenot lift off.

From Barron's • Feb. 13, 2026

SpaceX has been advancing the vehicle through test missions that lift off from its complex outside Brownsville, Texas.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 21, 2025

The idea tumbled in their heads for a time, but it took a while for it to lift off the ground.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 7, 2025

She was probably so full of air she’d lift off the stage like a balloon, Rishi thought with a smile.

From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023