launched; launching; launches
1
a
: to throw forward : hurl
launched an arrow at a target
b
: to release, catapult, or send off (a self-propelled object)
launch a rocket
2
a
: to set (a boat or ship) afloat
b
: to give (a person) a start
launched her on a new career
d
: to load into a computer's memory and run
launch a program
1
a
: to spring forward : take off
The catapult snagged and the plane overturned before it could launch.
b
: to enter energetically
launched into an impromptu speech—
Tim Tucker
Tim Tucker2
a
archaic
: to slide down the ways
b
: to make a start
had launched on his hour of study—Hallam Tennyson
Hallam Tennyson1
: a large boat that operates from a ship
2
: a small motorboat that is open or that has the forepart of the hull covered
Synonyms
Examples of launch in a Sentence
Verb
The enemy launched an attack at sunrise.
She's trying to launch a new career as a singer.
The police have launched an investigation into his activities.
He helped launch her in her career as a singer.
The company is expected to launch several new products next year.
You can launch the program by double-clicking on the icon.
Recent Examples on the WebOliver Darcy, CNN, 12 Apr. 2024
But Wasow, Sun, and the rest of the Community Connect team faced a major challenge in launching BlackPlanet: the perception that Black people simply didn’t use the internet.
—Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 12 Apr. 2024
Since launching Mistral, the group has been swarmed by investors who believe the platform is a real European challenger to early leaders across the pond like OpenAI and Google.
—Byryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 12 Apr. 2024
Reese's is trying to hype up the candy's newcomer status by launching a Legend vs. Newcomer campaign to go along with it.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 12 Apr. 2024
In response, the President has called in his troops and launched air strikes against American citizens.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2024
Pivoting to defense When Matus was launching Teal in 2015, investors anticipated a commercial boom: Amazon’s founder Jeff Bezos had announced ambitions to deliver packages by drone nationwide as early as 2017.
—Eva Dou, Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2024
The couple, who share five children together: sons Drake, 19, Duke, 15, and Crew, 5, along with daughters Ella, 17, and Emmie, 14 — launched their own TV channel, the Magnolia Network, in 2022 after ending their beloved HGTV series.
—Natalia Senanayake, Peoplemag, 11 Apr. 2024
More than 156,000 Haitians have entered the U.S. as part of a humanitarian parole program launched by the Biden administration in January 2023 for nationals of Haiti, Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 31 Mar. 2024
Jackie Wattles, CNN, 13 Apr. 2024
During her book launch at the Brooklyn Public Library in March, the writer gently cried while reciting a poem that conjured her late grandmother, citing the death toll in the besieged strip of land.
—Zahra Hankir, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Apr. 2024
The supermodel kicked off festival season with the launch of her new FWRD edit at The Parker hotel in Palm Springs on Thursday night — plus, gave PEOPLE an exclusive inside look at her Coachella outfit aesthetic after the event.
—Skyler Caruso, Peoplemag, 12 Apr. 2024
Discovery’s approach with HBO vis-a-vis Max: Following the launch of what had been HBO Max, the company killed off its standalone HBO Now and HBO Go apps and then rebranded the flagship service as just Max in 2023 with the addition of programming from WBD’s Discovery side of the house.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 11 Apr. 2024
The change will apply to displays, batteries, and cameras at launch.
—Emma Roth, The Verge, 11 Apr. 2024
Today’s launch was Russia’s third attempt at flying this particular rocket.
—George Dvorsky / Gizmodo, Quartz, 11 Apr. 2024
Their average launch angle of just 9.4 degrees is the fifth-worst in baseball.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2024
Amazon says the remake of the 1989 action classic is its biggest global movie launch ever.
—Aaron Couch, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Apr. 2024
Verb
The extraordinary attention the case generated helped launch the careers of a generation of household media stars, including Jeffrey Toobin, Nancy Grace, Greta Van Susteren, Dan Abrams, Harvey Levin, Gregg Jarrett and scores of others.
—Oliver Darcy, CNN, 12 Apr. 2024
But Wasow, Sun, and the rest of the Community Connect team faced a major challenge in launching BlackPlanet: the perception that Black people simply didn’t use the internet.
—Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 12 Apr. 2024
Since launching Mistral, the group has been swarmed by investors who believe the platform is a real European challenger to early leaders across the pond like OpenAI and Google.
—Byryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 12 Apr. 2024
Reese's is trying to hype up the candy's newcomer status by launching a Legend vs. Newcomer campaign to go along with it.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 12 Apr. 2024
In response, the President has called in his troops and launched air strikes against American citizens.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2024
Pivoting to defense When Matus was launching Teal in 2015, investors anticipated a commercial boom: Amazon’s founder Jeff Bezos had announced ambitions to deliver packages by drone nationwide as early as 2017.
—Eva Dou, Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2024
The couple, who share five children together: sons Drake, 19, Duke, 15, and Crew, 5, along with daughters Ella, 17, and Emmie, 14 — launched their own TV channel, the Magnolia Network, in 2022 after ending their beloved HGTV series.
—Natalia Senanayake, Peoplemag, 11 Apr. 2024
More than 156,000 Haitians have entered the U.S. as part of a humanitarian parole program launched by the Biden administration in January 2023 for nationals of Haiti, Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 31 Mar. 2024
Noun
Cultural changes: ‘Safety days,’ review boards and round tables
Columbia marked the second deadly mishap for the shuttle program after the space shuttle Challenger exploded during launch in January 1986.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN, 13 Apr. 2024
During her book launch at the Brooklyn Public Library in March, the writer gently cried while reciting a poem that conjured her late grandmother, citing the death toll in the besieged strip of land.
—Zahra Hankir, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Apr. 2024
The supermodel kicked off festival season with the launch of her new FWRD edit at The Parker hotel in Palm Springs on Thursday night — plus, gave PEOPLE an exclusive inside look at her Coachella outfit aesthetic after the event.
—Skyler Caruso, Peoplemag, 12 Apr. 2024
Discovery’s approach with HBO vis-a-vis Max: Following the launch of what had been HBO Max, the company killed off its standalone HBO Now and HBO Go apps and then rebranded the flagship service as just Max in 2023 with the addition of programming from WBD’s Discovery side of the house.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 11 Apr. 2024
The change will apply to displays, batteries, and cameras at launch.
—Emma Roth, The Verge, 11 Apr. 2024
Today’s launch was Russia’s third attempt at flying this particular rocket.
—George Dvorsky / Gizmodo, Quartz, 11 Apr. 2024
Their average launch angle of just 9.4 degrees is the fifth-worst in baseball.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2024
Amazon says the remake of the 1989 action classic is its biggest global movie launch ever.
—Aaron Couch, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'launch.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near launch
Cite this Entry
“Launch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/launch. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
launch
1 of 3 verb
ˈlȯnch 
ˈlänch
1
a
: to throw or spring forward : hurl
launch a spear
b
: to send off an object especially with force
launch a rocket
c
: to set a ship afloat
2
a
: to put in operation : begin
launch an attack
b
: to give a person a start
c
: to make a start especially energetically
launcher
noun
launch
2 of 3 noun
: an act of launching
launch
3 of 3 noun
: a small motorboat that is open or that has the front part of the hull covered
Etymology
Verb
Middle English launchen "to launch, hurl," from an early French dialect word launcher (same meaning), from Latin lanceare "to use a lance"
Noun
from Spanish or Portuguese lancha "a boat used to go to and from a large ship"
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share