touchdown

American  

[tuhch-doun] / ˈtʌtʃˌdaʊn /

noun

touchdowns plural

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

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

3. the act or the moment of landing.

   the aircraft's touchdown.

---

touchdown British  

/ ˈtʌtʃˌdaʊn /

noun

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

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

3.  TD.  American football a scoring play worth six points, achieved by being in possession of the ball in the opposing team's end zone See also field goal

---

verb

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

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

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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• touchdowns
  plural

Etymology

Origin of touchdown

First recorded in 1860–65; touch + down ¹

Explanation

A touchdown is a six-point score in football. Another kind of touchdown is what happens the moment a landing airplane's wheels touch the ground. If you're a nervous flyer, you probably breathe a sigh of relief at touchdown. And if you're a fan of football in North America, you may roar with delight when your team makes a touchdown. The word originally referred to the moment in a rugby match when the ball is touched to the ground inside the goal. In football, a touchdown is scored when a player carries the ball into the opponent's end zone.

Example Sentences

The final call on the field was a touchdown, which stood after a lengthy review.

From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026

Just before Moore caught his first touchdown in a Bruins uniform, he was running another deep route when he ran into a referee, breaking up what may have been an explosive play.

From Los Angeles Times • May 2, 2026

“First time in the Rose Bowl, first touchdown as a college player, I mean, it’s awesome,” Martin said, looking at the freshman Moore.

From Los Angeles Times • May 2, 2026

She told her young son that she would reward him with $1 for every flag he grabbed, and $5 for every touchdown he scored.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 25, 2026

I watched the end of the game when Dave caught a touchdown thrown from Brad.

From "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky

Related Words

• goal
• score
• six points