launchpad

Definition of launchpadnext
as in pad
an area from which a rocket is launched
often used figuratively
The TV cameras were focused on the launchpad as the time for liftoff approached. The program she hosted on local radio was the launchpad for her network career.

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of launchpad Plus, the first Days movie was her unique launchpad into stardom in America. Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 24 Aug. 2026 As American record companies had long understood, these made London an ideal launchpad for pop-culture trends. The Week Uk, TheWeek, 23 Aug. 2026 Looks like an entire orbital launchpad could be hitched to a semi-truck and driven anywhere on Earth, thanks to space launch provider Rocket Lab. Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 11 Aug. 2026 The test involved firing the booster stage’s seven engines while the rocket remained secured to the launchpad. Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 6 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for launchpad
Recent Examples of Synonyms for launchpad
Noun
  • Not wanting to go through a repeat of uncertainty for FY27, Roman mission management began eyeing faster routes to the launch pad.
    Josh Dinner, Space.com, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The granite landing pad is not yet complete, though it was partially unveiled during a press tour led by the president last week.
    David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 27 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority CEO Doug Kreulen said Parton’s life exemplified the values the airport seeks to nurture.
    Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Mutinous soldiers in Niger attacked the airport and the presidency in the capital, Niamey, ​early on Saturday, triggering hours of sustained gunfire and explosions and briefly knocking state television and radio off air.
    Reuters, NBC news, 29 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Video from the airfield showed Chicago Fire Department personnel responding to the aircraft.
    ABC News, ABC News, 27 Aug. 2026
  • That leads to stabilization of the soil and prevents wildlife from building habitats and making the airfield their homes.
    Ashley Portillo, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • The former often requires irregular cargo like radar systems, missile launchers, helicopters, engineering gear, bridge-laying equipment, etc, delivered to areas with no existing aerodromes.
    Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 5 July 2026
  • Jean-Christophe Verhaegen / AFP via Getty Images The aircraft, registered in Germany, crashed in a grassy area near the runway of the Nancy-Essey aerodrome, close to a residential area and two roads, an AFP journalist reported.
    CBS News, CBS News, 28 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Launchpad.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/launchpad. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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