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

See Examples For:

landfall

Hurricane Simon lashed Mexico's Pacific coast with severe winds and heavy rain on Monday, as it threatens to make landfall this week, according to the US National Hurricane Center.

From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2026

Hurricane Isaias made landfall near Destin, Fla., Friday night, bringing heavy rains, damaging winds and the possibility of life-threatening flooding to the region.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026

Tropical Storm Rachel is expected to make landfall either in northern Baja California or San Diego County as early as Saturday night, bringing with it a slew of potential hazards, including damaging coastal flooding.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2026

Further north, Tropical Storm Rachel, a downgraded hurricane, is heading toward landfall around the US-Mexico border, along the Pacific.

From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026

When Irma had made landfall, Natalie remembered, its wind speed had been 130 miles per hour.

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz