airplane

noun

ˈer-ˌplān How to pronounce airplane (audio)
Definition of airplanenext
as in plane
a vehicle for traveling through the air that has fixed wings for lift my uncle learned how to fly an airplane while serving in the air force

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of airplane The shuttles could launch like rockets, maneuver in Earth’s orbit, and land like airplanes. — Joanna Goodrich, IEEE Spectrum, 2 Sep. 2026 On passenger airplanes alone, the Federal Aviation Administration has tracked nearly 200 thermal-runaway incidents since 2024. — Alison J. Stein, HubSpot, 1 Sep. 2026 Psychiatry is the work of building the airplane while flying it carefully, collaboratively, and compassionately, as conditions may change midair. — Jennifer Adaeze Okwerekwu, STAT, 1 Sep. 2026 Seeding the clouds with those particles can be done from the ground or by air using airplanes, or in the case of the Rainmaker project, drones. — Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for airplane
Recent Examples of Synonyms for airplane
  1. plane
  2. aeroplane
  3. airliner
Noun
  • Over the past three seasons, the Yellowjackets, the New Jersey girls soccer team lost in the Canadian wilderness after a plane crash, have been trying to survive harsh weather, a lack of food and medical care — and one another.
    — Maira Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Barry Hankerson accused Jomo Hankerson of mishandling travel arrangements for a Bahamas trip more than 25 years ago that ended in a plane crash that killed the 22-year-old singer and eight others, according to documents obtained by USA TODAY.
    — Liza Esquibias, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of plane
Noun
  • The occasional booing of famous England players has been an integral part of the Wembley experience over the years, almost as commonplace as paper aeroplanes.
    — Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2026
  • No distractions, no aeroplanes, no noise, no traffic.
    — Emma Banks, InStyle, 4 Feb. 2026
Definition of aeroplane
Noun
  • According to Guinness World Records, the device was found intact despite falling from an altitude more than three times higher than a typical commercial airliner’s cruising height.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 27 Aug. 2026
  • During its orbit, S301 attains speeds more than 100,000 times faster than a commercial airliner—over eight percent the speed of light.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of airliner

Browse Nearby Words

air parks
airplane
airplanes
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Cite this Entry

“Airplane.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/airplane. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on airplane

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about airplane

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