pre·flight
ˈprē-ˌflīt 
: preparing for or preliminary to flight (as of an aircraft)
a preflight inspection
preflighted; preflighting; preflights
: to inspect (an aircraft) before a flight
: a preflight inspection of an aircraft
Examples of preflight in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Denise Chow, NBC news, 3 Feb. 2026
Food for thought During his preflight training, Ham was taught to push a lever within five seconds of seeing a flashing blue light; failure to do so resulted in an application of a light electric shock to the soles of his feet, while a correct response earned him a banana pellet.
—Kurt Snibbe, Oc Register, 30 Jan. 2026
Francesca Street, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2025
The airline only pays for hours in the air, meaning preflight procedures like safety checks are unpaid.
—Robert Birsel, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Aug. 2025
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Adjective
The four astronauts set to fly on the Artemis II flight — NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch and Victor Glover and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen — had been in quarantine in Houston since Jan. 21 to protect against preflight exposure to germs.
—Denise Chow, NBC news, 3 Feb. 2026
Food for thought During his preflight training, Ham was taught to push a lever within five seconds of seeing a flashing blue light; failure to do so resulted in an application of a light electric shock to the soles of his feet, while a correct response earned him a banana pellet.
—Kurt Snibbe, Oc Register, 30 Jan. 2026
Noun
Arvin didn’t mention that his daughter and son-in-law were on board during his preflight remarks.
—Francesca Street, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2025
The airline only pays for hours in the air, meaning preflight procedures like safety checks are unpaid.
—Robert Birsel, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for preflight
Cite this Entry
“Preflight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preflight. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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