splashdown

noun

splash·​down ˈsplash-ˌdau̇n 

plural splashdowns

: the landing of a crewed spacecraft in the ocean

splash down intransitive verb

Examples of splashdown in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This time, the intent was for SpaceX to circle the globe from an altitude of 170 miles -- not just once but six times over almost 10 hours, ending with a Pacific splashdown near Chile. — Arkansas Online, 29 Sep. 2026

But the company has yet to attempt one with the 171-foot-tall (52 meters) Ship, which has always targeted an ocean splashdown to wrap up its missions. — Mike Wall, Space.com, 29 Sep. 2026

And the splashdown in the Pacific Ocean ended in a huge bang, rather than the soft landing the company had hoped for. — Sven Bilén, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2026

This time, SpaceX was intent on circling the globe from an altitude of 170 miles — not just once but six times over almost 10 hours, ending with a Pacific splashdown near Chile. — Marcia Dunn, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1959, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for splashdown

• adown
• blowdown
• breakdown
• countdown
• crackdown
• crosstown
• downtown
• drawdown
• dropdown
• facedown
• godown
• hometown

Kids Definition

splashdown

noun

splash·​down ˈsplash-ˌdau̇n 

: the landing of a spacecraft in the ocean