splashdown

noun

splash·​down ˈsplash-ˌdau̇n How to pronounce splashdown (audio)
plural splashdowns
: the landing of a crewed spacecraft in the ocean
splash down intransitive verb

Examples of splashdown in a Sentence

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.
The crew’s return from the football field-sized science lab 250 miles up in orbit had been delayed for weeks because of two hurricanes that swept through the U.S. southeast near Crew Dragon’s expected splashdown zones. Reuters, NBC News, 25 Oct. 2024 Despite Starship's failure to make its planned splashdown in the Indian Ocean, SpaceX said the rocket still achieved several key milestones, including the successful firing of its 33 Raptor engines in the booster and the opening of a payload door. Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 20 Apr. 2023 Dominick and company then were repeatedly held up by high winds and rough seas, much of it hurricane related, at splashdown sites in the Gulf of Mexico and along Florida's east coast. William Harwood, CBS News, 23 Oct. 2024 Originally scheduled for August, Polaris Dawn has been delayed with what was becoming frustrating regularity because of poor weather conditions in the splashdown zone when the Dragon returns to Earth. David Szondy, New Atlas, 10 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for splashdown 

Word History

First Known Use

1959, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of splashdown was in 1959

Dictionary Entries Near splashdown

Cite this Entry

“Splashdown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/splashdown. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

splashdown

noun
splash·​down ˈsplash-ˌdau̇n How to pronounce splashdown (audio)
: the landing of a spacecraft in the ocean

More from Merriam-Webster on splashdown

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!