: a system of transporting cargo or passengers by aircraft often to or from an otherwise inaccessible area
airlift
transitive verb
Examples of airlift in a Sentence
an emergency airlift to deliver supplies to the famine victims
Recent Examples on the Web
Deputies relayed the hiker’s location to Cal Fire, Garden Valley and El Dorado County fire personnel, who worked together to treat the hiker and prepare for an airlift by a California Highway Patrol helicopter.
—
Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 31 Mar. 2026
The project involves barge deliveries, helicopter airlifts, and long-term maintenance plans, the kind of durable investment Puerto Rico’s public grid has yet to receive.
—Israel Melendez Ayala, Time, 28 Feb. 2026
Smaller aerial resupply missions could complement larger airlift and ground transport efforts.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 Feb. 2026
The Air Force is rolling out a new color palette across its executive airlift fleet, including the next-generation Air Force One aircraft.
—David Shepardson, USA Today, 17 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for airlift
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Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 31 Mar. 2026
The project involves barge deliveries, helicopter airlifts, and long-term maintenance plans, the kind of durable investment Puerto Rico’s public grid has yet to receive.
—Israel Melendez Ayala, Time, 28 Feb. 2026
Smaller aerial resupply missions could complement larger airlift and ground transport efforts.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 Feb. 2026
The Air Force is rolling out a new color palette across its executive airlift fleet, including the next-generation Air Force One aircraft.
—David Shepardson, USA Today, 17 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for airlift
Cite this Entry
“Airlift.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/airlift. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
airlift
noun
air·lift
ˈa(ə)r-ˌlift 
ˈe(ə)r-
: a system of transporting cargo or passengers by aircraft to or from an area otherwise impossible to reach
airlift
verb
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