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

See Examples For:

lift off

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

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

With the rocket now on launchpad 39B, the Artemis team is working around the clock to get it ready for lift off.

From BBC ● Jan. 17, 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

She intended to lift off the porcelain lid and fiddle with the arrangement of bulb and plug inside.

From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood