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

Jonathan Mingo — Still searching for his first NFL touchdown after just one reception last season, making this a make-or-break camp for the former second-round pick. — Nick Harris. Story Produced With Ai Assistance, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Aug. 2026

The North Carolina native earned Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year honors after totaling nearly 3,400 yards of total offense and 38 total touchdowns last season for the Dukes. — Matt Murschel, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Aug. 2026

Verb

There was real disappointment that Cape Verde didn’t knock Argentina out, but that feeling changed as soon as the team touched down back home. — Ainsley Flood, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026

The Apollo 15's Falcon lunar lander touched down on the moon on July 30. — Tariq Malik, Space.com, 2 Aug. 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