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.
Founded by Tom Mueller, a former propulsion guru at SpaceX, Impulse Space has test-flown an orbital maneuvering vehicle called Mira on two flights over the last couple of years. Stephen Clark – Jun 6, ArsTechnica, 6 June 2025 If all goes well, the team plans to test-fly the hybrid-propulsion Saab 340 in the mid-2020s. Amy Jankovsky, IEEE Spectrum, 30 Nov. 2023 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 The team verified this by test-flying various rectangular sheets of paper, changing the front weight by adding thin metallic tape to one edge. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 14 Nov. 2023 Airbus test-flew a miniaturized airliner demonstrator in 2019. Sébastien Roblin, Popular Mechanics, 24 Aug. 2023 Now, one company has gotten a step closer to making that vision a reality, receiving government approval to test-fly its sports car. Irina Ivanova, CBS News, 4 July 2023 The two met up last week to test-fly a plane that had come out of maintenance. Emily Davies, Washington Post, 6 June 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

Cite this Entry

“Test-fly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/test-fly. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!