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
Gary Fields, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026
In the regular season, the 23-year-old completed 72% of his passes for 4,394 yards with 31 touchdowns and eight interceptions, along with 421 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
—Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 28 Jan. 2026
On March 3, a total lunar eclipse in Virgo will touch down on your 12th house, pulling you inward to rest and retreat.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for touchdown
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Noun
Sixty-four passengers and crew of the airliner traveling from Wichita, Kansas, to Washington were moments from touchdown when the plane collided with the Black Hawk helicopter and its crew of three.
—Gary Fields, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026
In the regular season, the 23-year-old completed 72% of his passes for 4,394 yards with 31 touchdowns and eight interceptions, along with 421 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
—Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Verb
The aircraft, a WB-57 operated by NASA, touched down without its landing gear extended and slid along the runway on its fuselage.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 28 Jan. 2026
On March 3, a total lunar eclipse in Virgo will touch down on your 12th house, pulling you inward to rest and retreat.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 28 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 1 Feb. 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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