touchdown

[ tuhch-doun ]

/ ˈtʌtʃˌdaʊn /

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See synonyms for touchdown on Thesaurus.com

noun

Football. an act or instance of scoring six points by being in possession of the ball on or behind the opponent's goal line.

Rugby. the act of a player who touches the ball on or to the ground inside his own in-goal.

the act or the moment of landing: the aircraft's touchdown.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of touchdown

First recorded in 1860–65; touch + down¹

Words nearby touchdown

touch and go, touchback, touch base, touch base with, touch bottom, touchdown, touché, touched, touched in the head, touch football, touchhole

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use touchdown in a sentence

I’m going for that first down, getting out, and I’ve got four more downs to get a touchdown.
Quarterback Taylor Heinicke signs two-year contract to return to Washington Football Team|Sam Fortier|February 10, 2021|Washington Post
Aaron Jones of the Green Bay Packers and Chris Carson of the Seattle Seahawks have been considered the top free agent running backs, but after Fournette was a force in the Super Bowl with 89 yards and a touchdown, that may have changed.
The 10 biggest roster questions in the NFL as the offseason begins|John Clayton|February 9, 2021|Washington Post
Perhaps the most unexpected development of the Super Bowl, though, is that Kansas City does not even have a touchdown.
Super Bowl highlights: Bucs celebrate championship, Tom Brady wins MVP|Des Bieler, Mark Maske, Chuck Culpepper|February 8, 2021|Washington Post
Brady also threw a touchdown pass to wide receiver Antonio Brown in a 21-for-29, 201-yard passing performance.
Buccaneers defeat Chiefs in Super Bowl LV, 31-9, as Tom Brady claims his seventh championship|Mark Maske|February 8, 2021|Washington Post

The outburst began with an 80-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Ricky Sanders and ended with an eight-yard scoring grab by tight end Clint Didier.
Doug Williams’s MVP performance still ranks among the greatest in Super Bowl history|Scott Allen|February 5, 2021|Washington Post
He caught eight passes for 71 yards and a touchdown in an overtime loss to the Buffalo Bills last weekend.
The NFL Is Full of Ray Rices|Robert Silverman|September 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
However, the understanding of concussion and CTE while Marino was tossing touchdown passes simply did not exist.
Should Dan Marino Have Sued the NFL Over Concussions?|Dr. Anand Veeravagu, MD, Tej Azad|June 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But if the trailing team pulled out a victory with a late touchdown, would anyone be shocked?
You Don’t Need Nate Silver to ‘Predict’ a GOP Win This Fall|Jeff Greenfield|March 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They need to drive 88 yards to score a touchdown and be able to force over time.
Seahawks-Broncos and 7 Other Thrilling Super Bowl Matchups|Ben Jacobs|February 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He could have really screwed up my score by leading his team to a touchdown.
The Impossible Super Bowl Score: First 43-8 Football Game in a Century|Evin Demirel|February 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She smiled a little prim smile, which had to be her ice-queen equivalent of a touchdown dance, and the guards led me away.
Little Brother|Cory Doctorow
As for Rabbit, he stopped short, pivoted to the right, flashed by his opponent to speed away and across the line for a touchdown.
Red Dynamite|Roy J. Snell
It was a short lateral caught by Kentucky and hurled high and wide to Dave that at last scored their second touchdown of the game.
Red Dynamite|Roy J. Snell
With the dogged determination of a slow, heavy team, they at last pounded their way across the field to a touchdown.
Red Dynamite|Roy J. Snell
Stopping dead in his tracks, Kentucky had pivoted sharply to the right and was away for that touchdown.
Red Dynamite|Roy J. Snell

British Dictionary definitions for touchdown

touchdown

/ (ˈtʌtʃˌdaʊn) /

noun

the moment at which a landing aircraft or spacecraft comes into contact with the landing surface

rugby the act of placing or touching the ball on the ground behind the goal line, as in scoring a try

American football a scoring play worth six points, achieved by being in possession of the ball in the opposing team's end zoneAbbreviation: TD See also field goal (def. 2)

verb touch down (intr, adverb)

(of a space vehicle, aircraft, etc) to land

rugby to place the ball behind the goal line, as when scoring a try

informal to pause during a busy schedule in order to catch up, reorganize, or rest

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with touchdown

touch down

Land on the ground, as in The spacecraft touched down on schedule. This idiom was first recorded in 1935.

touchdown

Origin of touchdown

Words nearby touchdown

Words related to touchdown

How to use touchdown in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for touchdown

Other Idioms and Phrases with touchdown