airlift
noun
air·lift
| \ ˈer-ˌlift
\
\
Definition of airlift
: a system of transporting cargo or passengers by aircraft often to or from an otherwise inaccessible area
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Examples of airlift in a Sentence
an emergency airlift to deliver supplies to the famine victims
Recent Examples on the Web
The routine airlift mission was on a C-17 shared by the Air Force and the Alaska Air National Guard at the Anchorage base. — BostonGlobe.com, "Tom Steyer qualifies for October debates, bringing field to 11," 9 Sep. 2019 In 1992, the White House announced that the Pentagon would begin emergency airlifts of food to Somalia to alleviate mass deaths by starvation. — BostonGlobe.com, "This day in history," 14 Aug. 2019 The Sentinelese reputation for aggression was reinforced in 1981 when dozens of armed warriors tried to surround a beached freighter that had run aground, forcing the crew to radio for an airlift. — Alex Perry, Outside Online, "The Last Days of John Allen Chau," 24 July 2019 After direct pressure and a tourniquet would not stop the bleeding, the airlift got her to Friendship in Northwest Washington in about 20 minutes, which probably saved her life, Ryan said. — Washington Post, "Kylie, an injured D.C. cadaver dog, is recovering after rescuers rushed her to treatment by helicopter," 17 July 2019 Big airlifts began in the 1980s, when Ethiopia suffered tyranny and famine. — The Economist, "The killing of a black Jew sparks protests in Israel," 11 July 2019 This included the famous airlift that took Barack Obama’s father to study in Hawaii and later Harvard. — Abdi Latif Dahir, Quartz Africa, "Top American universities are doubling down on their presence across Africa," 5 July 2019 Dramatic video of the airlift shows the woman spinning at a high pace on the stretcher dangling below the helicopter. — Fox News, "VIDEO: Arizona helicopter rescue gurney carrying woman, 74, spins uncontrollably midair," 5 June 2019 Instead, the rescuers requested an airlift evacuation. — Avery Thompson, Popular Mechanics, "Rescuers Airlift Man Off Mt. Hood With Tricky Chinook Helicopter Maneuver," 17 July 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'airlift.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for airlift
airlift
noun
English Language Learners Definition of airlift
: an occurrence in which people or things are carried to or from a place by airplanes during an emergency when other methods are not possible
See the full definition for airlift in the English Language Learners Dictionary
airlift
verb
air·lift
| \ ˈer-ˌlift
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airlifted;
airlifting
Kids Definition of airlift
: to move people or cargo by aircraft usually to or from an area that cannot be reached otherwise
Food was airlifted to the earthquake victims.