landfall

noun

land·​fall ˈlan(d)-ˌfȯl 

1

: a sighting of land after a voyage or flight

2

: a reaching of land (as by a traveler, craft, or storm)

3

: the land first sighted on a voyage or flight

Examples of landfall in a Sentence

From the deck of the boat, we saw our first landfall.

Recent Examples on the Web

The nonprofit, known for raising millions of dollars through its annual South Florida gala, activated its disaster-relief donation platform even before the storm made landfall in western Jamaica. —Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 4 June 2026

Jangmi made landfall in Wakayama prefecture at typhoon strength with 126 kph (78 mph) winds before moving inland and weakening significantly. —ABC News, 2 June 2026

The forecast does not predict whether storms will make landfall, however. —Evan Bush, NBC news, 1 June 2026

The total number of tropical cyclones matters much less than the number that make landfall—the ones most likely to kill people and damage property. —Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 1 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1627, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing landfall

• make landfall

Rhymes for landfall

• aldol
• armhole
• atoll
• awol
• backhaul
• banal
• baseball
• befall
• cabal
• catchall
• cecal
• centrale

Kids Definition

landfall

noun

land·​fall ˈlan(d)-ˌfȯl 

1

: a sighting or making of land after a voyage or flight

2

: the land first sighted on a voyage or flight