touchdown

1 of 2

noun

touch·​down ˈtəch-ˌdau̇n 

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

Synonyms

Verb

• alight
• land
• light
• perch
• roost
• settle

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

Noun

On his touchdown: My only responsibility on that play was to get covered by the safety so Christian scored a touchdown. —Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 10 Nov. 2024

Keith promptly capped Northwood’s first three possessions of the second half with touchdown passes. —Dan Albano, Orange County Register, 9 Nov. 2024

Verb

In fact, Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris touched down here at the same time yesterday. —CBS News, 3 Nov. 2024

The month begins on a transformative note as the new moon in Scorpio touches down on your 10th house of career, public image and long-term pursuits. —Valerie Mesa, People.com, 1 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1856, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1859, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Kids Definition

touchdown

1 of 2 noun

touch·​down ˈtəch-ˌdau̇n 

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