: an airplane landing followed immediately by application of power and a takeoff and usually executed as one of a series for practice at landings
: unpredictable as to outcome : uncertain
it was touch and go there for a while
Examples of touch-and-go in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 5 Apr. 2024
The rest of the cascading aft decks are dotted with lounges and alfresco dining areas, while the lengthy foredeck is home to a touch-and-go helipad that can facilitate comings and goings on the high seas.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 16 Feb. 2024
The upper deck is home to yet another Jacuzzi, while the foredeck sports a touch-and-go helipad.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 23 Jan. 2024
But there's little question the dust grains visible immediately after scientists opened the lid to the canister are from asteroid Bennu, where the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft captured rocks during a touch-and-go landing in 2020.
—Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 26 Sep. 2023
The owner’s stateroom offers 180-degree views and a private terrace of roughly 2,150 square feet that can double as a touch-and-go helipad.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 22 Dec. 2023
Nevertheless, Friday’s vote was a bit touch-and-go.
—David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 16 Dec. 2023
The spacecraft collected nearly 9 ounces (250g) of rocks, dust and other debris during its touch-and-go visit to Bennu’s Hokioi crater in October 2020.
—Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2023
The touch-and-go helipad can be lifted up to create a striking party space, for example.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 25 Aug. 2023
Lindy Segal, Glamour, 30 Jan. 2024
These conditions are still being studied and treatment can be touch and go or difficult to access, making weight loss even more difficult to achieve.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 21 Sep. 2023
But Fabry gene therapies have been touch and go for a while.
—Isabella Cueto, STAT, 10 July 2023
So the work has been touch and go.
—Bob Goldsborough, chicagotribune.com, 14 Mar. 2022
Vendor outreach was touch and go.
—Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2021
Since the tour for the New Zealand native singer-songwriter’s brilliant 2017 album, Melodrama, wrapped in late 2018, it’s been touch and go.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 10 June 2021
Seismicity remains high at the volcano, suggesting that the eruption isn't likely to stop immediately and visibility is touch and go with low cloud cover.
—Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 13 Nov. 2014
In a 2000 interview with The Associated Press, Ms. Gardner recalled that keeping the show open was touch and go until that August, when the production took time off amid the New York City summer and played in East Hampton, N.Y., for a week.
—Neil Genzlinger, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2022
Noun
The stern sports a giant beach club with a full arsenal of water toys for guests, while the upper deck is home to a touch-and-go helipad that can facilitate comings and goings at sea.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 5 Apr. 2024
The rest of the cascading aft decks are dotted with lounges and alfresco dining areas, while the lengthy foredeck is home to a touch-and-go helipad that can facilitate comings and goings on the high seas.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 16 Feb. 2024
The upper deck is home to yet another Jacuzzi, while the foredeck sports a touch-and-go helipad.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 23 Jan. 2024
But there's little question the dust grains visible immediately after scientists opened the lid to the canister are from asteroid Bennu, where the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft captured rocks during a touch-and-go landing in 2020.
—Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 26 Sep. 2023
The owner’s stateroom offers 180-degree views and a private terrace of roughly 2,150 square feet that can double as a touch-and-go helipad.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 22 Dec. 2023
Nevertheless, Friday’s vote was a bit touch-and-go.
—David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 16 Dec. 2023
The spacecraft collected nearly 9 ounces (250g) of rocks, dust and other debris during its touch-and-go visit to Bennu’s Hokioi crater in October 2020.
—Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2023
The touch-and-go helipad can be lifted up to create a striking party space, for example.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 25 Aug. 2023
Adjective
As January slogged on, availability of the potato bites became touch and go.
—Lindy Segal, Glamour, 30 Jan. 2024
These conditions are still being studied and treatment can be touch and go or difficult to access, making weight loss even more difficult to achieve.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 21 Sep. 2023
But Fabry gene therapies have been touch and go for a while.
—Isabella Cueto, STAT, 10 July 2023
So the work has been touch and go.
—Bob Goldsborough, chicagotribune.com, 14 Mar. 2022
Vendor outreach was touch and go.
—Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2021
Since the tour for the New Zealand native singer-songwriter’s brilliant 2017 album, Melodrama, wrapped in late 2018, it’s been touch and go.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 10 June 2021
Seismicity remains high at the volcano, suggesting that the eruption isn't likely to stop immediately and visibility is touch and go with low cloud cover.
—Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 13 Nov. 2014
In a 2000 interview with The Associated Press, Ms. Gardner recalled that keeping the show open was touch and go until that August, when the production took time off amid the New York City summer and played in East Hampton, N.Y., for a week.
—Neil Genzlinger, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'touch-and-go.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Dictionary Entries Near touch-and-go
Cite this Entry
“Touch-and-go.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/touch-and-go. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
touch and go
adjective
: not certain of having a good result
it was touch and go there for a while
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