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

The Rams became the first team in NFL history to lose a game despite piling up more than 400 total yards, recording at least 30 first downs, scoring five touchdowns, converting at least 50% of their third downs and committing zero turnovers. — Andy Scholes, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2026

The receiving corps took a hit in Vegas, as Rashee Rice left in the first quarter with an apparent hamstring injury and Tyquan Thornton appeared to seriously injure his ankle after a 45-yard reception that set up the go-ahead touchdown. — Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 15 Oct. 2026

Verb

After the plane touched down, Hayun was widely credited with helping to prevent a mass-casualty event. — Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026

The reality star and Skims founder touched down at the Singapore Grand Prix this weekend to support boyfriend Lewis Hamilton, bringing a little feminine energy to the Formula 1 circuit. — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 10 Oct. 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