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
Reaching its target speed of Mach 8 and an altitude of about 16 miles (26 km), the vehicle flew approximately 540 nautical miles (621 miles, 1,000 km) before splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean.
—
David Szondy
march 02, New Atlas, 2 Mar. 2026
Following their splashdown in the Pacific, all four astronauts were taken to a San Diego hospital.
—Arkansas Online, 26 Feb. 2026
Its reentry and splashdown will not be livestreamed.
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 26 Feb. 2026
The special trajectory allows Orion to target a precise splashdown location.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for splashdown
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.
David Szondy
march 02, New Atlas, 2 Mar. 2026
Following their splashdown in the Pacific, all four astronauts were taken to a San Diego hospital.
—Arkansas Online, 26 Feb. 2026
Its reentry and splashdown will not be livestreamed.
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 26 Feb. 2026
The special trajectory allows Orion to target a precise splashdown location.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for splashdown
Cite this Entry
“Splashdown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/splashdown. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
splashdown
noun
splash·down
ˈsplash-ˌdau̇n
: the landing of a spacecraft in the ocean
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
