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

But rarely did they make landfall near the oranges.

From Slate • Apr. 20, 2026

Cyclone Gezani made landfall on Tuesday, hitting the island's main port, Toamasina.

From BBC • Feb. 11, 2026

Jamaica was battered by Hurricane Melissa, one of the strongest hurricanes ever to make landfall, generating losses of around $9.8 billion.

From Barron's • Jan. 13, 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

On the other hand, trying to sail around to the other side put them at risk of being swept past the island and into the Atlantic with no landfall before Africa.

From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong