launchpads

noun

plural of launchpad
as in airports
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 launchpads The room is supposed to be a charming gathering nook where my family can hang out, not a control room outfitted with complex launchpads. — Jill Kargman, Architectural Digest, 16 June 2026 Gates 5 and 10 are the only launchpads for more than 10 percent of Kentucky Derby winners. — Peter Keating, New York Times, 1 May 2026 The majority of the biggest rounds across the sector have been for startups based in those two countries, with both emerging as key launchpads into new markets and battlefield training. — Kai Nicol-Schwarz, CNBC, 11 Dec. 2025 With history, culture, and great places to eat, these quaint spots are ideal launchpads for exploring the natural beauty of the Golden State. — Chelsee Lowe, Travel + Leisure, 1 July 2026 Or the way Karl Lagerfeld turned Grand Palais into supermarkets, icebergs, and rocket launchpads. — Karissa Mitchell, Essence, 17 Aug. 2025 Once reliable job launchpads in gateway fields such as finance, consulting, and journalism now routinely demand two or more years of prior experience. — Bruno V. Manno, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025 At that point, SpaceX had two launchpads, allowing the company to return to flight in January 2017. — Wendy Whitman Cobb, The Conversation, 29 May 2026 College graduates earn significantly higher lifetime incomes, have access to better healthcare, and are far more likely to achieve upward social mobility — because their degrees serve as proxies for experience and are favored by employers, these credentials are career launchpads. — CBS News, 19 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for launchpads
  1. airports
  2. pads
  3. airfields
  4. aerodromes
Noun
  • Why China is moving fast with robot hospitality China has already embraced service robots in hotels, restaurants, airports and public spaces.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2026
  • Many have floated the idea of giving him the Nobel Peace Prize, naming airports after him, and making his birthday a federal holiday.
    — Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 4 July 2026
Definition of airports
Noun
  • Pre-soaked toner pads are infused with active ingredients to help smooth skin and enhance hydration, while the anti-aging moisturizer combines NAD+ and hyaluronic acid for a firmer, more radiant look.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 July 2026
  • These toner pads are an integral part of my skincare wind down every evening.
    — Izzy Baskette, PEOPLE, 2 July 2026
Definition of pads
Noun
  • Analysts believe such flexibility could prove valuable in any future high-intensity conflict where conventional airfields are under constant threat.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 3 July 2026
  • By 1944, the Flying Tigers had come under American control, but still flew out of airfields in China, including one in Yunnan, China, where McKinney was based.
    — Kocha Olarn, CNN Money, 1 July 2026
Definition of airfields
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
Definition of aerodromes

Browse Nearby Words

launchpad
launchpads
launder
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Cite this Entry

“Launchpads.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/launchpads. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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