midair

noun

mid·​air ˈmid-ˈer How to pronounce midair (audio)
Synonyms of midairnext
: a point or region in the air not immediately adjacent to the ground
the planes collided in midair

Examples of midair in a Sentence

The two planes collided in midair. We watched birds catching insects in midair.
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.
The family members have been urging Congress to reach a compromise and pass the package of aviation safety reforms that the NTSB recommended after the midair collision. — ABC News, 5 Aug. 2026 On Sunday, two helicopters tackling the Western Attica fire collided in midair, killing two crew members. — Robbie Griffiths, NPR, 4 Aug. 2026 Ukrainian drone operators have destroyed many Russian armored vehicles on the ground and even military helicopters in midair using $400 Shrike drones with explosive payloads. — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 3 Aug. 2026 Strong winds eased in Greece, allowing firefighting flights to resume, a day after a midair collision between two helicopters killed two crew members. — Derek Gatopoulos, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for midair

Word History

First Known Use

1605, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of midair was in 1605

Rhymes for midair

See All Rhymes for midair

Browse Nearby Words

mid-aged
midair
mid-american
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Midair.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/midair. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

midair

noun
mid·​air ˈmid-ˈa(ə)r How to pronounce midair (audio)
-ˈe(ə)r
: a point or region in the air not very close to the ground
planes collided in midair

More from Merriam-Webster on midair

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for midair

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of anecdote

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All