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
Two of its three boosters made recovery landings back at neighboring Cape Canaveral Space Force Station touching down about eight minutes after liftoff at Landing Zones 40 and 2, and blanketing the Space Coast in a pair of sonic booms during reentry.
—
Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Apr. 2026
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
Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Apr. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for touching down
Verb
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Another member of pop’s new generation, Addison Rae, was on hand to hype up the crowd while perching on the edge of the DJ booth.—
Ellise Shafer,
Variety,
27 Apr. 2026
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Photos and videos of Chonkers hopping onto docks and perching among his smaller California sea lion friends have garnered thousands of views on social media.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Aircraft landing on one of the main runways at Newark come sailing in, low, over multiple lanes of traffic on the Turnpike, which is one of the most congested parts of Interstate 95.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 May 2026
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But the research process also gave Radford a unique opportunity to really dig into the history of her own family, who immigrated from Jamaica to Cuba before landing in the United States.—
Lizz Schumer,
PEOPLE,
4 May 2026
Verb
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The annual Women Who Rock event, which will be held at Lavan Midtown in New York, will also recognize the Class of 2026 — the women who are making big moves and lighting a path for the next generation.—
Katie Abel,
Footwear News,
4 May 2026
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Layer in lighting once the sun goes down Plants do half the work of a patio retreat.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Miami Herald,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Touching down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/touching%20down. Accessed 6 May. 2026.
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