lift off

Idioms  

1. 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]

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Example Sentences

Because the glacier rested on a flat bed, large portions were able to lift off almost at once.

From Science Daily • Feb. 26, 2026

When outages drag on for hours, the back-up batteries don't have time to recharge, forcing Biletsky to cut the lift off to prioritise water pumps.

From Barron's • Feb. 26, 2026

The Looney Tunes-themed Tweety’s Escape ride, meanwhile, lets guests climb into individual birdcages that lift off the ground and sway in a circle.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 10, 2025

Satellite images show a common design, with runways exceeding 14,000 feet long to give pilots more room to lift off in high-altitude conditions where the air is thinner.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 5, 2025

Even though it was Antonina flying the plane and not Galina, Galina could tell that their aircraft was too heavy to lift off safely.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein