as in airports
an area from which a rocket is launched
—often used figuratively
The TV cameras were focused on the launchpad as the time for liftoff approached. The program she hosted on local radio was the launchpad for her network career.
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Recent Examples of launchpads
College graduates earn significantly higher lifetime incomes, have access to better healthcare, and are far more likely to achieve upward social mobility — because their degrees serve as proxies for experience and are favored by employers, these credentials are career launchpads.
—
CBS News, 19 Jan. 2026
The majority of the biggest rounds across the sector have been for startups based in those two countries, with both emerging as key launchpads into new markets and battlefield training.
—Kai Nicol-Schwarz, CNBC, 11 Dec. 2025
Once reliable job launchpads in gateway fields such as finance, consulting, and journalism now routinely demand two or more years of prior experience.
—Bruno V. Manno, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Or the way Karl Lagerfeld turned Grand Palais into supermarkets, icebergs, and rocket launchpads.
—Karissa Mitchell, Essence, 17 Aug. 2025
CBS News, 19 Jan. 2026
The majority of the biggest rounds across the sector have been for startups based in those two countries, with both emerging as key launchpads into new markets and battlefield training.
—Kai Nicol-Schwarz, CNBC, 11 Dec. 2025
Once reliable job launchpads in gateway fields such as finance, consulting, and journalism now routinely demand two or more years of prior experience.
—Bruno V. Manno, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Or the way Karl Lagerfeld turned Grand Palais into supermarkets, icebergs, and rocket launchpads.
—Karissa Mitchell, Essence, 17 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for launchpads
Noun
-
The Mexican government has spent weeks encouraging the population to get vaccinated against the measles, which is preventable with two doses of the vaccine, and announced the launch of vaccination sites in places such as airports and bus stations.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Officials said that with airports and hotels along Highway 101, the Peninsula can especially be a vulnerable target for human traffickers.—
Sooji Nam,
CBS News,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The animal shelter a couple of miles away put out the call for dog food, cat food, kitty litter, and puppy pads—puppy pads because, get this, some immigrants are too afraid to walk their dogs and so the dogs must relieve themselves inside the house.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Feb. 2026
-
His first experiments at 170 BPM took the form of ambient music, a new way to frame his signature melodies and pads removed from the 4/4 thump of techno and house.—
Andrew Ryce,
Pitchfork,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Since 2014, the Russian military has opened several military bases in the Arctic and worked on reconstructing airfields.—
Danica Kirka,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Perhaps Ukraine’s biggest drone success in 2025 was Operation Spider, a complex covert operation that saw shipping containers placed within FPV range of Russia’s heavy bomber airfields in Siberia.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
28 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Launchpads.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/launchpads. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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