Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

airstrip

American  
[air-strip] / ˈɛərˌstrɪp /

noun

  1. a small landing field having only one runway.

  2. a temporary or auxiliary aircraft runway.

airstrip British  
/ ˈɛəˌstrɪp /

noun

  1. Also called: landing strip.  a cleared area for the landing and taking off of aircraft; runway

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of airstrip

First recorded in 1940–45; air 1 + strip 2

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.

Tessalit serves as a strategic base due to its geographical location and features a well-maintained airstrip capable of accommodating helicopters and other large military aircraft.

From Barron's • May 1, 2026

The government consulted studies to identify the hours of lightest traffic from Altiplano to an airstrip near Mexico City, where the men would board flights to the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 3, 2025

The informant also sent Sánchez a video of a Cessna landing on a rudimentary airstrip near the mine.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 6, 2025

Investigative reporting by, among others, the New York Times, has documented that these are transported through an airstrip and supply base built by the UAE just inside Chad.

From BBC • Nov. 3, 2025

A few cars were leaving and arriving at the terminal building; farther ahead, the airstrip was pitch black.

From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.