touchdown

1 of 2

noun

touch·​down ˈtəch-ˌdau̇n 

1

: the act of touching a football to the ground behind an opponent's goal

specifically : the act of scoring six points in American football by being lawfully in possession of the ball on, above, or behind an opponent's goal line when the ball is declared dead

2

: the act or moment of touching down (as with an airplane or spacecraft)

touch down

2 of 2

verb

touched down; touching down; touches down

intransitive verb

: to reach the ground : land

transitive verb

: to place (the ball in rugby) by hand on the ground on or over an opponent's goal line in scoring a try or behind one's own goal line as a defensive measure

Synonyms of touchdown

Verb

• perch
• land
• light

Examples of touchdown in a Sentence

Noun

What was the plane's speed at touchdown?

Verb

the plane will touch down in about 30 minutes

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Pavia was named the SEC Offensive Player of the Year and won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm for best upperclassman quarterback after throwing for 3,539 passing yards and 29 touchdowns, both of which are single-season school records, to give the Commodores their first-ever 10-win season. —Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026

In four seasons with the Jets, Hall has 3,398 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns. —Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 28 Apr. 2026

Verb

The tornado touched down east of the Clare-Gladwin county line and traveled south of Beaverton Road. —Dejanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 5 May 2026

While the rest of the fan zone (merch tents, food stalls, shaded tables right next to the track) felt accessible and alive in the way Austin does, the Champagne Garden felt like a separate world that had briefly touched down near a race circuit. —Patrick Iversen, New York Times, 3 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1856, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1859, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for touchdown

• adown
• blowdown
• breakdown
• countdown
• crackdown
• crosstown
• downtown
• drawdown
• dropdown
• facedown
• godown
• hometown

Kids Definition

touchdown

1 of 2 noun

touch·​down ˈtəch-ˌdau̇n 

1

: the act of touching a football to the ground behind an opponent's goal

2

: the act of scoring six points in American football by carrying the ball over the opponent's goal line

3

: the act or moment of touching down (as with an airplane or spacecraft)

touch down

2 of 2 verb

(ˈ)təch-ˈdau̇n

: to reach the ground : land