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 Bystram said, explaining how the team decides which airplane incidents to investigate. — Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026 According to the Federal Aviation Administration, there have been 1,331 reports of unruly passengers on airplanes so far this year. — Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 12 Oct. 2026 From an airplane, most of the glaciers of the Rocky Mountain West look like small patches of white nestled into rugged landscape where the topography folds. — Andrew Fountain, The Conversation, 12 Oct. 2026 The dry air inside an airplane cabin, combined with hours spent wearing contact lenses during a long travel day, can leave the lenses with less moisture and eyes feeling increasingly uncomfortable, experts say. — Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for airplane
Recent Examples of Synonyms for airplane
  1. plane
  2. aeroplane
  3. airliner
Noun
  • An expedition to find evidence of Amelia Earhart’s missing plane near a remote island in the South Pacific has come up empty, researchers said Sunday.
    — Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Well outside Cuba’s territorial waters, Cuban MiGs destroyed two of the civilian planes with air-to-air missiles, killing the four occupants, the complaint said.
    — David Fischer, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 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
  • The new Delta One will take off on transoceanic journeys from the airliner’s hub at LAX this fall, with roll-out to the rest of its fleet slated in early 2027.
    — Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Qantas, Australian’s national airliner, was forced to cancel the flight scheduled for Saturday after passengers on an earlier incoming flight complained about being bitten onboard, according to CNN affiliate 9News.
    — Lianne Kolirin, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 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 20 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on airplane

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about airplane

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