often attributive
1
a
: a firework consisting of a case partly filled with a combustible composition fastened to a guiding stick and propelled through the air by the rearward discharge of the gases liberated by combustion
b
: a similar device used as an incendiary weapon or as a propelling unit (as for a lifesaving line)
2
: a jet engine that operates on the same principle as the firework rocket, consists essentially of a combustion chamber and an exhaust nozzle, carries either liquid or solid propellants which provide the fuel and oxygen needed for combustion and thus make the engine independent of the oxygen of the air, and is used especially for the propulsion of a missile (such as a bomb or shell) or a vehicle (such as an airplane)
3
: a rocket-propelled bomb, missile, projectile, or vehicle
rocketed; rocketing; rockets
: to convey or propel by means of or as if by a rocket
1
: to rise up swiftly, spectacularly, and with force
rocketed to the top of the list
2
: to travel rapidly in or as if in a rocket
Synonyms
Verb
- barrel
- belt
- blast
- blaze
- blow
- bolt
- bomb [slang]
- bowl
- breeze
- bundle
- bustle
- buzz
- cannonball
- careen
- career
- chase
- course
- crack (on)
- dash
- drive
- fly
- hare
- hasten
- hie
- highball
- hotfoot (it)
- hump
- hurl
- hurry
- hurtle
- hustle
- jet
- jump
- motor
- nip
- pelt
- race
- ram
- rip
- run
- rush
- rustle
- scoot
- scurry
- scuttle
- shoot
- speed
- step
- tear
- travel
- trot
- whirl
- whisk
- zip
- zoom
Examples of rocket in a Sentence
Verb
Sales rocketed from 1,000 units last week to 5,000 units this week.
The train rocketed through the tunnel.
The spacecraft rocketed into outer space.
Her novel rocketed to the top of the best-seller list.
Their album rocketed up the charts.
His role in the movie rocketed him to fame.
Recent Examples on the Web
Sophie Carson, Journal Sentinel, 20 May 2024
The rocket reached more than 347,000 feet, crossing the 330,000 foot high Kármán line, the imaginary line that denotes the boundary of space.
—Scott Neuman, NPR, 19 May 2024
Boeing's Starliner crew capsule atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket's Centaur second stage at launch complex 41 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station earlier this month.
—William Harwood, CBS News, 17 May 2024
Israel shut down the second major crossing, at Kerem Shalom, after a Hamas rocket attack nearby killed four Israeli soldiers last week.
—Raja Abdulrahim, New York Times, 17 May 2024
The New Shepard rocket, which flies cargo and humans on short trips to the edge of space, has been grounded since a September 2022 uncrewed mission failed roughly a minute after liftoff from Texas, forcing the rocket's capsule full of NASA experiments to safely eject mid-flight.
—USA TODAY, 15 May 2024
The ringing in his ears from the 113.4 mph rocket must have unsettled Winn.
—Bill Plunkett, Orange County Register, 15 May 2024
California SpaceX is launching more rockets from a military base.
—Salvador Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2024
Just last night there was more rockets and shells coming into the north of Israel.
—ABC News, 12 May 2024
Adam B. Vary, Variety, 21 May 2024
Hinkson said the city is also bracing to feel the impact of the Metroplex’s rocketing growth, particularly as Fort Worth expands westward along the I-20 corridor.
—Emily Brindley, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 May 2024
Scheffler’s prolific early career has rocketed him to eighth on the all-time list of career earnings on the PGA Tour, not even halfway through his fifth year on the circuit.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 17 May 2024
His Gen X snarkiness, honed on the ABC sitcom Two Guys and a Girl then refined in broad studio comedies, rocketed him to fame while also putting a certain distance between him and a prospective audience.
—A.a. Dowd, Rolling Stone, 17 May 2024
Adidas sales in Europe rocketed 14% in its most recent quarter, in large part because of the popularity of the classic shoe.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 15 May 2024
The giant mammal rocketed out of the water, twisting its body and flopping backward into the water in a dramatic splash.
—Julia Daye, Sacramento Bee, 14 May 2024
Thanks to all that might, the car can rocket from zero to 60 mph in just 3.6 seconds and hit a top speed of 203 mph.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 6 May 2024
Video of the incident was jarring and rocketed through social media.
—Raisa Habersham, Miami Herald, 2 May 2024
Noun
The Transcarpathian region in the west, for example is shielded by the Carpathian Mountains, and there's hardly any Russian rockets, and hardly any Russian drones.
—Sophie Carson, Journal Sentinel, 20 May 2024
The rocket reached more than 347,000 feet, crossing the 330,000 foot high Kármán line, the imaginary line that denotes the boundary of space.
—Scott Neuman, NPR, 19 May 2024
Boeing's Starliner crew capsule atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket's Centaur second stage at launch complex 41 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station earlier this month.
—William Harwood, CBS News, 17 May 2024
Israel shut down the second major crossing, at Kerem Shalom, after a Hamas rocket attack nearby killed four Israeli soldiers last week.
—Raja Abdulrahim, New York Times, 17 May 2024
The New Shepard rocket, which flies cargo and humans on short trips to the edge of space, has been grounded since a September 2022 uncrewed mission failed roughly a minute after liftoff from Texas, forcing the rocket's capsule full of NASA experiments to safely eject mid-flight.
—USA TODAY, 15 May 2024
The ringing in his ears from the 113.4 mph rocket must have unsettled Winn.
—Bill Plunkett, Orange County Register, 15 May 2024
California SpaceX is launching more rockets from a military base.
—Salvador Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2024
Just last night there was more rockets and shells coming into the north of Israel.
—ABC News, 12 May 2024
Verb
But the company’s decision to produce its streaming series like multi-episode feature films, matched with the dramatic increase in production, also reportedly led to rocketing budgets and patchy quality control.
—Adam B. Vary, Variety, 21 May 2024
Hinkson said the city is also bracing to feel the impact of the Metroplex’s rocketing growth, particularly as Fort Worth expands westward along the I-20 corridor.
—Emily Brindley, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 May 2024
Scheffler’s prolific early career has rocketed him to eighth on the all-time list of career earnings on the PGA Tour, not even halfway through his fifth year on the circuit.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 17 May 2024
His Gen X snarkiness, honed on the ABC sitcom Two Guys and a Girl then refined in broad studio comedies, rocketed him to fame while also putting a certain distance between him and a prospective audience.
—A.a. Dowd, Rolling Stone, 17 May 2024
Adidas sales in Europe rocketed 14% in its most recent quarter, in large part because of the popularity of the classic shoe.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 15 May 2024
The giant mammal rocketed out of the water, twisting its body and flopping backward into the water in a dramatic splash.
—Julia Daye, Sacramento Bee, 14 May 2024
Thanks to all that might, the car can rocket from zero to 60 mph in just 3.6 seconds and hit a top speed of 203 mph.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 6 May 2024
Video of the incident was jarring and rocketed through social media.
—Raisa Habersham, Miami Herald, 2 May 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rocket.' 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 rocket
Cite this Entry
“Rocket.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rocket. Accessed 28 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
rocket
1 of 2 noun
rock·et
ˈräk-ət 
1
: a firework that is driven through the air by the gases produced by a burning substance
2
: a jet engine that operates like a firework rocket but carries its own oxygen for burning the fuel and is therefore able to run without the oxygen of the air
3
: an object (as a missile) that is driven by a rocket
rocket
2 of 2 verb1
: to transport by a rocket
rocket a satellite into orbit
2
: to rise swiftly
a singer who rocketed to stardom
3
: to travel rapidly in or as if in a rocket
Etymology
Noun
from Italian rocchetta, literally "a small stick or rod on which wool is held for spinning," from rocca "distaff"; probably so called because of its shape
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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