test-fly

verb

ˈtest-ˌflī How to pronounce test-fly (audio)
test-flew ˈtest-ˌflü How to pronounce test-fly (audio) ; test-flown ˈtest-ˌflōn How to pronounce test-fly (audio) ; test-flying

transitive verb

: to subject to a flight test
test-fly an experimental plane

Examples of test-fly in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The plan was for a brisk and breezy mission—test-flying Boeing’s brand-new Starliner spacecraft up to the ISS for a short eight-day cruise. — Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 13 Aug. 2024 If all goes well, the team plans to test-fly the hybrid-propulsion Saab 340 within about six years. — Amy Jankovsky, IEEE Spectrum, 30 Nov. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1936, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of test-fly was in 1936

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Test-fly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/test-fly. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

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