takeoff
Americannoun
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a taking or setting off; the leaving of the ground, as in leaping or in beginning a flight in an airplane.
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a taking off from a starting point, as in beginning a race.
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the place or point at which a person or thing takes off.
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a humorous or satirical imitation; burlesque.
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Machinery. a shaft geared to a main shaft for running auxiliary machinery.
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a branch connection to a pipe, electric line, etc.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of takeoff
First recorded in 1820–30; noun use of verb phrase take off
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.
See Examples For:
During takeoff, jet engines must withstand temperatures exceeding 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit, while enduring rapid rotations and intense pressure.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
That’s because mega-initial public offerings from the widely followed artificial intelligence firms OpenAI and Anthropic are lined up for takeoff.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2026
The crash occurred shortly after takeoff in what military officials said was supposed to be a test flight to update the B-52’s radar, and a wider effort to modernize the 70-year-old heavy bomber fleet.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026
"A United States Air Force B-52 Stratofortress crashed shortly after takeoff on the Edwards airfield at 11:20 am," the base said on Facebook.
From Barron's ● Jun. 15, 2026
Half an hour after takeoff, the fair weather disappeared.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
Teams also closely monitored how the X-59 performed during takeoffs, landings, and flight operations.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 1, 2026
Sometimes that means longer flight routes or startlingly rapid takeoffs and landings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 8, 2026
This week the FAA slowed takeoffs at several airports in response to growing shortages, including at air traffic control centers in Atlanta, Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2025
All takeoffs from Israel’s main airport were halted for several hours; restaurants closed; the country’s largest port stopped working.
From Slate ● Feb. 19, 2025
There were no clever skits, no farcical takeoffs on the subject of Stanley Martin and the Nipe.
From Anything You Can Do ... by Garrett, Randall
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.
