launch 1 of 2

verb

ˈlȯnch How to pronounce launch (audio)
Definition of launchnext
1
as in to establish
to be responsible for the creation and early operation or use of after retiring, he launched a small company devoted to making medical devices

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2
as in to begin
to take the first step in (a process or course of action) she launched a career in journalism after quitting acting school

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3
as in to throw
to send through the air especially with a quick forward motion of the arm infantrymen launching grenades at the nest of machine gunners

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launch

2 of 2

noun

1
as in takeoff
a rising from a surface at the start of a flight (as of a rocket) the reporters held their collective breath as they silently watched the space shuttle's launch

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in start
the point at which something begins we are at the launch of a new age of space exploration

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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 launch
Verb
SpaceX has now launched 89 Falcon 9 missions in 2026, 69 of which have been dedicated Starlink flights. — Mike Wall, Space.com, 1 Aug. 2026 Geely is the latest to join the party with its new Galaxy Zhanjian 700, or Galaxy Cruiser 700 (depending on where it might be launched). — New Atlas, 1 Aug. 2026
Noun
SkyPicks launches with Major League Baseball games, and fans will be able to predict NFL matchups later this year. — Christopher Harris, CBS News, 31 July 2026 Arguably the subsequent doubling was due to a combination of surging Chinese demand and momentum trading, but even assuming that, the market tightness after the war ended kept prices on a long upward trajectory, not a rocket launch. — Michael Lynch, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for launch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for launch
  1. establish
  2. begin
  3. throw
  4. takeoff
  5. start
  6. initiate
  7. commence
  8. hurl
Verb
  • City Directors Kathy Webb and Capi Peck requested the proposal to establish the six-month moratorium earlier this summer.
    — Joseph Flaherty, Arkansas Online, 4 Aug. 2026
  • In 2009, Boko Haram, based in the northeast of the country, began a campaign of guerrilla attacks and suicide bombings, in an effort to establish a caliphate in the region.
    — Alexis Okeowo, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of establish
Verb
  • Joe Mack and Xavier Edwards added RBI singles later in the fifth for the Marlins, who began the day 2 1/2 games behind Philadelphia and Arizona for the final two NL playoff spots.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The festival began as a seasonal attraction but has grown into a Kansas City-area family tradition centered on education and close encounters with butterflies.
    — Sophia Buonpane, Kansas City Star, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of begin
Verb
  • But Daemon gets thrown from the saddle, and Caraxes allows Sheepstealer to escape or at least to slink off into the woods to die alone.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 3 Aug. 2026
  • By the time all was said and done, Prielipp had walked three, including one with the bases loaded, and had thrown 35 pitches.
    — Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of throw
Noun
  • That dependence weighs against the claim that an autonomous intelligence takeoff is already underway.
    — Ron Schmelzer, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
  • For example, small acts of courtesy can ease congestion in the aisle, help flights stay on schedule, and create a calmer atmosphere before takeoff.
    — Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 25 July 2026
Definition of takeoff
Noun
  • Tarik Skubal takes the mound Tuesday night for his first start with the NL West leaders since the ace left-hander was acquired in a trade with the Detroit Tigers.
    — Jay Cohen, Chicago Tribune, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Her relentless complaining starts to wear on Kat, who bears the brunt of it.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of start
Verb
  • Even after watching replays, the ref stuck with his original call that Mbappe had initiated the contact, which was palpable nonsense.
    — Graham Scott, New York Times, 22 July 2026
  • Barclays initiates Forte Biosciences as overweight Barclays says shares of the biotech company are compelling.
    — Michael Bloom, CNBC, 21 July 2026
Definition of initiate
Verb
  • And so commenced a literally explosive weekend of celebrations across the five boroughs, which culminated in a ticker-tape parade on June 18 to City Hall.
    — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 23 July 2026
  • Work commenced on the record three months after Drewchin welcomed the arrival of her first child, Nova, a period in which she was consumed with the reality and potentialities of being a new parent.
    — Colin Joyce, Pitchfork, 20 July 2026
Definition of commence
Verb
  • While the violent mobs who hurled stones at marchers in 1966 are long gone, civil rights advocates say their demands remained strikingly familiar and that the threat to democracy has not disappeared.
    — Lila Hempel-Edgers, Chicago Tribune, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Resinous pine cones can also ignite and be hurled hundreds of meters by wind, helping fire spread.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 31 July 2026
Definition of hurl

Browse Nearby Words

laughters
launch
launched
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Cite this Entry

“Launch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/launch. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on launch

Nglish: Translation of launch for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about launch

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