touchdown

touch·down | \ ˈtəch-ˌdau̇n

Definition of touchdown

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

verb

touched down; touching down; touches down

Definition of touch down (Entry 2 of 2)

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 & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about touchdown

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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 However, Dayne had a disappointing seven-year NFL career, with his NFL highlight coming on Thanksgiving Day 2005, when Dayne – with the Denver Broncos – rushed for 98 yards and a touchdown in a 24-21 win over the Dallas Cowboys. — Jim Reineking, USA TODAY, "Ranking last 25 Heisman Trophy winners based on NFL success," 5 Jan. 2021 The former four-star receiver appeared in 10 games for Auburn this season, finishing with seven receptions for 77 yards and a touchdown. — Tom Green | Tgreen@al.com, al, "Auburn freshman receiver undergoes successful surgery after Citrus Bowl injury," 5 Jan. 2021 Last season, the 6-foot-1, 220-pound sophomore rushed for 297 yards and a touchdown, averaging 5.5 yards per carry. — oregonlive, "Deshaun Fenwick, South Carolina running back transfer, commits to Oregon State Beavers," 5 Jan. 2021 As a passer Mayfield finished 17-of 27 for 196 yards and a touchdown. — Scott Patsko, cleveland, "Browns Winners and Losers of Week 17: Divisional trilogies, Baker Mayfield and 1-31 survivors," 4 Jan. 2021 In Texas’ Alamo Bowl win over Colorado, Robinson rushed for 183 yards and a touchdown. — Dallas News, "Texas RB Roschon Johnson may not be a captain yet, but his unselfish leadership hasn’t gone unnoticed," 3 Jan. 2021 The 33-year-old finished the game with nine receptions for 63 yards and a touchdown. — Jeff Nowak, NOLA.com, "What Saints had to say after crushing Panthers: An Emmanuel Sanders payday, Brees' memory, more," 3 Jan. 2021 Five weeks ago, Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams combined to turn 34 carries into 163 yards and a touchdown against the Bears. — Dan Wiederer, chicagotribune.com, "‘Not a lot of sleep this week’: For Chuck Pagano and the Chicago Bears defense, slowing Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers will be a monumental challenge," 1 Jan. 2021 Still, Day managed to make 16 receptions for 274 yards and one touchdown. — Randy Mcroberts, baltimoresun.com, "Havre de Grace senior Jaylen Day to play in Hawaii Tiki Bowl, but in Florida," 31 Dec. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Part two of Joanna Hogg’s ongoing semi-autobiographical opus just may touch down in 2021. — Alison Willmore, Vulture, "65 Movies We Can’t Wait to See in 2021," 5 Jan. 2021 The spacecraft will then release a lander that will touch down near a volcanic mound called Mons Rümker in the northwest region of the lunar near side. — Andrew Jones, Science, "China's new moon mission to return the first lunar samples since 1976," 23 Nov. 2020 If all goes well, after returning to Earth orbit later this month, a re-entry capsule will then separate from the spacecraft stack, and the samples will touch down in the Inner Mongolia region. — Eric Berger, Ars Technica, "China Chang’e 5 probe has safely landed on the Moon [Updated]," 1 Dec. 2020 The lander is scheduled to touch down in an area called Oceanus Procellarum and stay on the moon for only as long as one lunar day — the equivalent of around two weeks on Earth. — Washington Post, "China to launch moon mission, seeking to be first country in decades to collect lunar rocks," 23 Nov. 2020 On October 20, the spacecraft finally made the plunge, dodging building-size boulders to touch down within a patch of crater floor about the size of two parking spots nicknamed Nightingale, one of many landmarks on Bennu named for birds. — National Geographic, "NASA's OSIRIS-REx secures asteroid sample after surprise leak," 29 Oct. 2020 Then, the spacecraft should travel home and touch down in Utah with its sample in 2023. — Rachael Zisk, Popular Science, "Watch live as the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft snags a chunk of asteroid," 20 Oct. 2020 The first crews of the Artemis program, which could touch down on the moon within five years, won’t have the technology to mine moon water. — Charlie Wood, Popular Science, "The moon is (slightly) wet, NASA confirms. Now what?," 27 Oct. 2020 Originally, the scientists had planned to use laser tracking to touch down at Bennu. — Jonathan O'callaghan, Scientific American, "NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Seeks to Grab a Piece of Asteroid Bennu," 16 Oct. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'touchdown.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.