touchdown

1 of 2

noun

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)

touch down

2 of 2

verb

touched down; touching down; touches down

intransitive verb

: to reach the ground : land

transitive verb

: 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

Synonyms of touchdown

Verb

• perch
• land
• light

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

Noun

Haynes had an electric junior season accounting for 3,552 all-purpose yards and 45 touchdowns while leading Whitney to a 10-3 record. —Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 June 2026

The former Jacksonville State standout had 53 catches for 629 yards and seven touchdowns from 2023 to 2025. —Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 16 June 2026

Verb

Since the team touched down June 7 on a plane bearing a Fennec Fox on its tail, Lawrence has embraced Algeria in a big way. —The Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 17 June 2026

Scottish soccer fans touched down on Wednesday at Boston Logan International Airport ahead of Scotland's second World Cup match against Morocco on Friday, bringing their signature kilts, chants and enthusiasm to the city. —Brandon Truitt, CBS News, 17 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1856, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1859, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for touchdown

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

Kids 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