touchdown

1 of 2

noun

touch·​down ˈtəch-ˌdau̇n How to pronounce touchdown (audio)
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

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
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
Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett completed 47 of 57 passes for 452 yards—more than double Brock Purdy’s 200 yards passing—along with two touchdowns and two interceptions, and the 49ers were held to under 100 yards rushing, but yet Arizona was blown out on the scoreboard. Michael Gallagher, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Nov. 2025 Dak Prescott passed for 268 yards and four touchdowns, and Dallas dominated the spiraling Las Vegas Raiders 33-16 on Monday night in the Cowboys' first game since the death of defensive end Marshawn Kneeland. CBS News, 18 Nov. 2025
Verb
Grazia Weldon, from Missouri, was about to touch down with her husband Curtis and their daughter Gianna when every new parent’s worst nightmare played out. Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025 Michael Kors touched down in London on Thursday night for a series of events to celebrate the official opening of his namesake label’s flagship on Regent Street. Tianwei Zhang, Footwear News, 14 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for touchdown

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1856, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1859, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of touchdown was in 1856

Browse Nearby Words

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Touchdown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/touchdown. Accessed 22 Nov. 2025.

Kids Definition

touchdown

1 of 2 noun
touch·​down ˈtəch-ˌdau̇n How to pronounce touchdown (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on touchdown

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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