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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Noun
Rohan Nadkarni Aaron Rodgers evades a sack and finds Garrett Wilson for 21-yard touchdown pass. NBC News, 1 Nov. 2024 There was some question as whether Holstein, who has 17 touchdown passes, would make it 8-for-8 Saturday because of an undisclosed injury. Tom Layberger, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
Verb
King Charles and Queen Camilla have touched down in Samoa as their royal tour continues. Janine Henni, People.com, 23 Oct. 2024 So the dog drinks and drinks, ignoring the horse approaching her and the sound of another airplane, this one pulling up to a gate, having touched down in the city where Brian’s mother was born. Paul Yoon, The New Yorker, 20 Oct. 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 14 Nov. 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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