soft-landed; soft-landing; soft-lands

transitive verb

: to cause to make a soft landing on a celestial body (such as the moon)

intransitive verb

: to make a soft landing
soft-lander noun

Examples of soft-land in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Its previous two attempts to soft-land on the Red Planet's surface failed. Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 30 June 2025 The big shift occurred when SpaceX put considerable money and effort into perfecting an innovative system to soft-land the rocket's booster stage for refurbishment and reuse. Scott Neuman, NPR, 7 June 2025 Pads for patronage College and university campuses are now soft-landing patronage pads for Republican allies, at sky-high salaries. Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 30 May 2025 Only about half of all lunar soft-landing attempts including six crewed missions of Apollo have been successful. Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

back-formation from soft landing

First Known Use

1958, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of soft-land was in 1958

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Soft-land.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/soft-land. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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