splashdown

noun

splash·​down ˈsplash-ˌdau̇n How to pronounce splashdown (audio)
plural splashdowns
: the landing of a crewed spacecraft in the ocean
splash down intransitive verb

Examples of splashdown 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 mountain’s best terrain could be found in the snow bowls beneath the 12,500-foot Kachina Peak, and accessing them required a 45-minute hike, paid off by the ensuing splashdown through airy powder. Michael Paterniti, Travel + Leisure, 14 Nov. 2025 Other services offered are liftoff and recovery options that are paired with ocean splashdowns in which clients can send memorial capsules into orbit that are then retrieved to be retained as heirlooms and keepsakes. Jeff Spry, Space.com, 7 Nov. 2025 Both its stages, the Super Heavy booster and the Ship upper stage, successfully returned for pinpoint splashdowns. Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2025 SpaceX’s Starship megarocket completed an hour-long test flight Monday before making a fiery splashdown in the Indian Ocean. Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for splashdown

Word History

First Known Use

1959, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of splashdown was in 1959

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Splashdown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/splashdown. Accessed 23 Nov. 2025.

Kids Definition

splashdown

noun
splash·​down ˈsplash-ˌdau̇n How to pronounce splashdown (audio)
: the landing of a spacecraft in the ocean

More from Merriam-Webster on splashdown

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!