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

However, a wall of wind shear is expected to slightly destabilize the storm just before landfall — slowing its wind speeds to 100 mph and broadening the system, spreading the high winds and heavy rains even further from the core of the storm. — Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2026

Isaias strengthened into a Category 3 hurricane with 120-mph winds Friday, threatening a late-day landfall near the Alabama-Florida line as crews raced to finish preparations. — Sophie Bates, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026

Hurricane Isaias is a Category 3 storm currently headed toward the Gulf Coast, with landfall expected Friday evening along Florida's Panhandle. — ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026

The most likely landfall location will be somewhere between the Mississippi coastline to the western Florida panhandle. — Rachael Jay, CBS News, 8 Oct. 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