as in perching
to come to rest after descending from the air
the plane will touch down in about 30 minutes
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Recent Examples of touching down
During their 2018 trip to Australia, Meghan and Harry arrived to the continent hand-in-hand, touching down after flying in a Qantas private suite to Sydney.
—
Helen Murphy, PEOPLE, 14 Apr. 2026
Instead of touching down on the surface, the four astronauts are due to circle the moon in NASA's Orion capsule before heading back to Earth.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2026
Instead, the mission is designed as a 10‑day lunar flyby, sending its four‑person crew around the Moon and back to Earth without touching down.
—Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
The 2026 severe weather season has already proven to be an active one, with tornadoes touching down in Southwest Michigan on March 6.
—Vytas Reid, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026
At eight seconds, there was a sound consistent with the plane's landing gear touching down on the runway.
—Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 24 Mar. 2026
The French plane departed from Muscat, Oman and made a stop in Cairo, Egypt, before touching down at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport.
—Dallas Morning News, 4 Mar. 2026
The French plane departed from Muscat, Oman, and made a stop in Cairo, Egypt, before touching down at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport.
—Samuel Petrequin, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2026
While some agencies dominate headlines with splashy launches, JAXA often works with a quiet precision that suddenly produces something extraordinary — a spacecraft touching down on an asteroid, a lunar lander executing a daring maneuver, or a new instrument revealing the universe in sharper detail.
—Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 3 Mar. 2026
Helen Murphy, PEOPLE, 14 Apr. 2026
Instead of touching down on the surface, the four astronauts are due to circle the moon in NASA's Orion capsule before heading back to Earth.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2026
Instead, the mission is designed as a 10‑day lunar flyby, sending its four‑person crew around the Moon and back to Earth without touching down.
—Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
The 2026 severe weather season has already proven to be an active one, with tornadoes touching down in Southwest Michigan on March 6.
—Vytas Reid, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026
At eight seconds, there was a sound consistent with the plane's landing gear touching down on the runway.
—Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 24 Mar. 2026
The French plane departed from Muscat, Oman and made a stop in Cairo, Egypt, before touching down at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport.
—Dallas Morning News, 4 Mar. 2026
The French plane departed from Muscat, Oman, and made a stop in Cairo, Egypt, before touching down at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport.
—Samuel Petrequin, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2026
While some agencies dominate headlines with splashy launches, JAXA often works with a quiet precision that suddenly produces something extraordinary — a spacecraft touching down on an asteroid, a lunar lander executing a daring maneuver, or a new instrument revealing the universe in sharper detail.
—Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 3 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for touching down
Verb
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The rehabilitation team was worried about his hallux, or rear-facing toe, which eagles need for grabbing prey and perching.—
Madeline Bartos,
CBS News,
10 Apr. 2026
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Birds need a complete habitat that includes food, shelter, nesting areas and perching spots.—
Tim Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Within three days of the Da Nang landing in 1965, a group of professors at the University of Michigan met to discuss a response.—
Louis Menand,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
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The week’s events come just after the Artemis II mission concluded with its return landing off the San Diego coast on Friday.—
Maura Fox,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Luis Javier Gallegos, 28, was arrested on Friday after allegedly lighting fires in four stores, including Nordstrom Rack, True Religion, Marshall's and North Face, resulting in the evacuation and brief closure of the popular Inland Empire mall.—
Austin Turner,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
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After lighting the candle for a few minutes, the Volcanic Mist scent filled my home with its sweet, airy, and refreshing scent.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Touching down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/touching%20down. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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