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

Verb

• alight
• land
• light
• perch
• roost
• settle

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

Two-year starter who had five interceptions, 10.5 tackles for loss and one touchdown in last two seasons. —Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025

In 10 games for the Wolverines last season, Loveland registered 56 catches for 582 yards and one touchdown despite Michigan’s uneven quarterback play. —Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 22 Apr. 2025

Verb

Oprah Winfrey, who is King's best friend, was in the crowd watching the launch, and removed her glasses and wept when the capsule touched down. —Kevin Shalvey, ABC News, 14 Apr. 2025

The British royals touched down in Rome, greeted by dignitaries and representatives from Italy’s governing body. —Julia Teti, Footwear News, 7 Apr. 2025

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