landfall

American  

[land-fawl] / ˈlændˌfɔl /

noun

1. an approach to or sighting of land.

   The ship will make its landfall at noon tomorrow.

2. the land sighted or reached.

3. a landslide.

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landfall British  

/ ˈlændˌfɔːl /

noun

1. the act of sighting or nearing land, esp from the sea

2. the land sighted or neared

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Etymology

Origin of landfall

First recorded in 1620–30; land + fall

Explanation

Landfall is the first glimpse of land when you're on a boat. It can also mean the moment your boat touches the shore, like when your kayak makes landfall on a remote island. If you're traveling at sea, arriving at your destination is landfall. A child paddling a rowboat across a pond makes landfall when she reaches the far shore, and the captain of an ocean liner makes landfall at each remote stop on the route. A sailor might call out, "Landfall!" at the first sight of land on the horizon. The word landfall uses the sense of fall that means "happen."

Example Sentences

After that, hurricanes Ian, Idalia, Helene, and Milton all made landfall on the peninsula.

From Slate • Apr. 20, 2026

The cyclone's landfall was likely one of the strongest recorded in the region during the satellite era, rivalling Geralda in February 1994, it said.

From Barron's • Feb. 12, 2026

As these hot spots grow, they increase the likelihood that exceptionally intense tropical cyclones, sometimes described as Category '6' storms, could make landfall near heavily populated coastlines.

From Science Daily • Dec. 25, 2025

The 2025 Atlantic hurricane season ended on Sunday, and not a single hurricane made landfall in the continental U.S. this year.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 3, 2025

“Emily has all the makings of a Category Five hurricane. The question is, Where is she going to make landfall and when? For the very latest information let’s go to our meteorologist, Cindy Stewart. Cindy?”

From "Storm Runners" by Roland Smith