suborbital

adjective

sub·​or·​bit·​al ˌsəb-ˈȯr-bə-tᵊl How to pronounce suborbital (audio)
1
: situated beneath the eye or the orbit of the eye
2
: being or involving less than one orbit (as of the earth or moon)
also : intended for suborbital flight

Examples of suborbital in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Ship successfully deployed 20 V3 Starlinks on Flight 13 last month, but on a suborbital trajectory, and the satellites soon crashed back to Earth. — Mike Wall, Space.com, 29 Aug. 2026 SpaceX led the pack last year with 165 orbital launches of its Falcon 9 rocket, plus five suborbital test flights of the much larger Starship. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 21 Aug. 2026 As mentioned, NordSpace’s first suborbital attempt was unsuccessful. — IEEE Spectrum, 20 Aug. 2026 While the 236-foot first-stage booster known as Super Heavy made a water landing off the Gulf Coast of Texas after providing the initial burst of thrust at liftoff, the upper stage continued on into suborbital space. — Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for suborbital

Word History

First Known Use

1803, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of suborbital was in 1803

Rhymes for suborbital

See All Rhymes for suborbital

Browse Nearby Words

suborbicular
suborbital
suborder
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Suborbital.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/suborbital. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Medical Definition

suborbital

adjective
sub·​or·​bit·​al ˌsəb-ˈȯr-bət-ᵊl How to pronounce suborbital (audio)
: situated or occurring beneath the eye or the orbit of the eye
suborbital fat
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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