touch·down
ˈtəch-ˌdau̇n 
1
: the act of touching a football to the ground behind an opponent's goal
specifically
: the act of scoring six points in American football by being lawfully in possession of the ball on, above, or behind an opponent's goal line when the ball is declared dead
2
: the act or moment of touching down (as with an airplane or spacecraft)
touched down; touching down; touches down
: to reach the ground : land
: to place (the ball in rugby) by hand on the ground on or over an opponent's goal line in scoring a try or behind one's own goal line as a defensive measure
Examples of touchdown in a Sentence
Noun
What was the plane's speed at touchdown?
Verb
the plane will touch down in about 30 minutes
Recent Examples on the Web
Matt Moret, New York Times, 12 May 2026
In 1981, Morton threw for 3,195 yards and 21 touchdowns, both career highs.
—Pat Graham, Chicago Tribune, 12 May 2026
Josh Dinner, Space.com, 13 May 2026
The Princess of Wales, 44, touched down from London on Wednesday, May 13, ahead of a two-day visit to Reggio Emilia, marking her first official solo overseas trip since her cancer diagnosis in 2024.
—Simon Perry, PEOPLE, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for touchdown
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.
Noun
Morton passed for 1,929 yards and 14 touchdowns, finishing second in MVP voting and winning Comeback Player of the Year.
—Matt Moret, New York Times, 12 May 2026
In 1981, Morton threw for 3,195 yards and 21 touchdowns, both career highs.
—Pat Graham, Chicago Tribune, 12 May 2026
Verb
The Artemis moon landers will need to touch down safely on the moon, as well as deliver crews back to lunar orbit for transfer back aboard Orion.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 13 May 2026
The Princess of Wales, 44, touched down from London on Wednesday, May 13, ahead of a two-day visit to Reggio Emilia, marking her first official solo overseas trip since her cancer diagnosis in 2024.
—Simon Perry, PEOPLE, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for touchdown
Cite this Entry
“Touchdown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/touchdown. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
touchdown
1 of 2 noun
touch·down
ˈtəch-ˌdau̇n
1
: the act of touching a football to the ground behind an opponent's goal
2
: the act of scoring six points in American football by carrying the ball over the opponent's goal line
3
: the act or moment of touching down (as with an airplane or spacecraft)
touch down
2 of 2 verb(ˈ)təch-ˈdau̇n
: to reach the ground : land
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
