flyby

noun

fly·​by ˈflī-ˌbī How to pronounce flyby (audio)
plural flybys
1
: a prearranged usually low-altitude flight by one or more airplanes over a public gathering (such as an air show)
2
a
: a flight of a spacecraft past a celestial body (such as Mars) close enough to obtain scientific data
b
: a spacecraft that makes a flyby

Examples of flyby 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.
Cryptocurrency billionaire Chun Wang will lead the Mars mission, as well as a separate lunar flyby mission. — Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 28 May 2026 An asteroid of this size comes this close to Earth only roughly once every decade, making this weekend’s flyby a rare observing opportunity rather than a routine close approach. — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026 Numerous other missions are exploring Mars full-time, so there’s little chance of any major discoveries lurking in Psyche’s flyby datasets. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 20 May 2026 From a cache of images released by NASA this spring that were taken by Artemis II astronauts during a lunar flyby in April. — Ann Manov, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for flyby

Word History

First Known Use

1953, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of flyby was in 1953

Rhymes for flyby

See All Rhymes for flyby

Browse Nearby Words

flybrush
flyby
fly-by-night
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Cite this Entry

“Flyby.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flyby. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

flyby

noun
fly·​by -ˌbī How to pronounce flyby (audio)
plural flybys
1
: a usually low-altitude flight past a chosen place by one or more aircraft
2
a
: a flight of a spacecraft past a heavenly body (as Mars) close enough to obtain scientific information
b
: a spacecraft that makes a flyby
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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