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

The typhoon is the strongest to make landfall in China in 2026 to date, according to state media.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

Typhoon Bavi knocked out power to thousands in Okinawa and lashed northern Taiwan as it bore down on storm-battered China, where it is expected to make landfall early Sunday.

From Barron's ● Jul. 11, 2026

After slamming into the Japanese islands and sweeping past Taiwan's northern tip, Bavi is expected to make landfall in eastern China over the weekend.

From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026

In spite of all this activity in the Atlantic, the continental USA had a lucky escape with no hurricanes making landfall in 2025.

From BBC ● May 21, 2026

Adelaide made landfall not far from Wilford, Connecticut, as a Category Two hurricane, said a news report on Abby’s phone.

From "Dog Squad" by Chris Grabenstein