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

Though the odds are low of a US landfall, it CANNOT be ruled out still. —Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Aug. 2025

South Pacific landfalls with coral reefs and tropical beaches, European isles bristling with medieval castles, a remote cabin in the woods on a lake island — the choices seem almost unlimited. —Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 8 Aug. 2025

The satellite data helps meteorologists create weather forecasts that keep planes and ships safe and prepare countries for a potential hurricane landfall. —Chris Vagasky, Space.com, 27 July 2025

Despite a downgrade from tropical storm to tropical depression after its South Carolina landfall Sunday, Chantal promised to bring heavy rain to North Carolina and Virginia. —Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 6 July 2025

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