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
Josh Shepardson, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
Bills quarterback Josh Allen exploited the holes in their quick pass defense expertly last week, going 12-of-14 for 134 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 23 Jan. 2026
Judy Kurtz, The Hill, 22 Jan. 2026
Cocktails touch down on the other side of the spectrum.
—Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for touchdown
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Noun
Perhaps equally interesting, teammate and fellow tight end Terrance Ferguson also scored a touchdown against the Seahawks in Week 16.
—Josh Shepardson, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
Bills quarterback Josh Allen exploited the holes in their quick pass defense expertly last week, going 12-of-14 for 134 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 23 Jan. 2026
Verb
Angie Katsanevas are set to touch down on Capitol Hill for separate events on Thursday.
—Judy Kurtz, The Hill, 22 Jan. 2026
Cocktails touch down on the other side of the spectrum.
—Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 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 25 Jan. 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
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