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
Next month, four astronauts are expected to board a space capsule called Orion, blast off on a rocket known as the Space Launch System, and exit low-Earth orbit for the first time since 1972, en route to a 10-day flyby of the moon.
—
Editorial, Boston Herald, 21 Jan. 2026
After the lunar flyby, the Earth-moon gravity field will help pull the spacecraft back to Earth over the course of its three-day return trip.
—Matthew Glasser, ABC News, 20 Jan. 2026
How Artemis builds on Apollo’s foundation The demands of operating beyond low Earth orbit help explain why the lunar flyby planned for Artemis II is a significant milestone.
—Charlotte Kiang, Forbes.com, 19 Jan. 2026
Whatever happened to Crew-11 could influence how the agency prepares for future human spaceflight missions, including the upcoming Artemis II moon flyby.
—Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 15 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for flyby
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Editorial, Boston Herald, 21 Jan. 2026
After the lunar flyby, the Earth-moon gravity field will help pull the spacecraft back to Earth over the course of its three-day return trip.
—Matthew Glasser, ABC News, 20 Jan. 2026
How Artemis builds on Apollo’s foundation The demands of operating beyond low Earth orbit help explain why the lunar flyby planned for Artemis II is a significant milestone.
—Charlotte Kiang, Forbes.com, 19 Jan. 2026
Whatever happened to Crew-11 could influence how the agency prepares for future human spaceflight missions, including the upcoming Artemis II moon flyby.
—Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 15 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for flyby
Cite this Entry
“Flyby.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flyby. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
flyby
noun
fly·by
-ˌbī 
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
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