countdown

noun

count·​down ˈkau̇nt-ˌdau̇n 

: an audible backward counting in fixed units (such as seconds) from an arbitrary starting number to mark the time remaining before an event

also : preparations carried on during such a count

count down

ˈkau̇nt-ˈdau̇n 

intransitive verb

Examples of countdown in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Efford said Georgia Tech has a countdown clock to its annual rivalry game with the Bulldogs. — Mike Griffith, AJC.com, 30 July 2026

Flushed and flailing during Schauf’s final countdown, her gum-chewing getting a little more exaggerated with each second, Cooper quipped that her handiwork might be better sealed under a closed casket. — John Semley, Harpers Magazine, 28 July 2026

SpaceX called off a test flight of its powerful Starship rocket and Super Heavy booster as the countdown clock reached zero on July 16 at the company’s spaceport in South Texas, Ars reports. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 24 July 2026

Names of her grantee organizations are shown on screens in the center of the arena during the pre-show countdown. — ABC News, 24 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1952, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for countdown

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

Kids Definition

countdown

noun

count·​down ˈkau̇nt-ˌdau̇n 

: the process of counting off backward in fixed units (as seconds) the time remaining before an event (as the launching of a rocket)