touchdown

1 of 2

noun

touch·​down ˈtəch-ˌdau̇n How to pronounce touchdown (audio)
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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Johnson eventually returned to the divisional showdown after the Lions scored a touchdown to reclaim the lead, 24-21, with 5:02 remaining in the third quarter. Valentina Martinez, Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2024 Allen has passed for 20 touchdowns, with five interceptions. Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 6 Dec. 2024
Verb
The Griffin lander will touch down on Mons Mouton near the western rim of Nobile crater close to the lunar south pole. Richard Tribou, Orlando Sentinel, 8 Dec. 2024 Jeremy Strong, Jim Parsons (twice), Rachel McAdams (to my mind, the most impressive stage debut of the year), Rachel Zegler, and more have all touched down in New York for limited engagements, some more artistically successful than others but all doing pretty good business. Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for touchdown 

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1856, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1859, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of touchdown was in 1856

Dictionary Entries Near touchdown

touchbox

touchdown

touch down

Cite this Entry

“Touchdown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/touchdown. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

touchdown

1 of 2 noun
touch·​down ˈtəch-ˌdau̇n How to pronounce touchdown (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on touchdown

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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