landing

noun

land·​ing ˈlan-diŋ 

1

: an act or process of one that lands

especially : a going or bringing to a surface (such as land or shore) after a voyage or flight

2

: a place for discharging and taking on passengers and cargo

3

: a level part of a staircase (as at the end of a flight of stairs)

4

landings plural : the amount of fish or shellfish landed annually in a particular area

Synonyms of landing

• dock
• wharf
• pier

Examples of landing in a Sentence

The plane made a smooth landing.

The helicopter had to make an emergency landing.

The pilot was practicing takeoffs and landings.

Landing in high winds can be dangerous.

Our plane was cleared for landing.

We stopped to rest at the first floor landing.

I waited at the landing for the ferry.

Recent Examples on the Web

The super athletic forward who thrilled fans with his highlight-reel dunks last season took a hard landing on one wild drive during the first half and limped toward the bench. — Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026

The first-stage booster made its 13th flight landing on the droneship Just Read the Instructions. — Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 July 2026

The rough landing caused a wing strut to snap, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. — Sneha Dhandapani, CNN Money, 5 July 2026

LeBron James’ handlers have not mentioned the Chicago Bulls as a potential landing site for the legendary free agent, which makes sense since James probably wants to go out on a winner. — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing landing

• dead-stick landing
• instrument landing
• landing craft
• landing field
• landing gear
• landing strip
• moon landing
• pancake landing
• three-point landing

Rhymes for landing

• banding
• branding
• handing
• sanding
• standing
• stranding
• commanding
• demanding
• disbanding
• expanding
• freestanding
• misbranding

Kids Definition

landing

noun

land·​ing ˈlan-diŋ 

1

: the action of one that lands

2

: a place (as a wharf) for unloading or taking on passengers and cargo

3

: the level part of a staircase (as between flights of stairs)