touch down

Meaning

This phrasal verb is used to describe the moment an aircraft or spacecraft makes contact with the ground during landing. It is commonly used in travel contexts, flight announcements, and news reports. While it functions as a verb, the single-word form 'touchdown' can also be used as a noun.

Examples

• The plane is scheduled to touch down in London at 6:00 PM local time.

  The plane is scheduled to touch down in London at 6:00 PM local time.

• As soon as we touch down, I need to turn on my phone and call my family.

  As soon as we touch down, I need to turn on my phone and call my family.

• The pilot made a perfect landing, touching down smoothly despite the heavy rain.

  The pilot made a perfect landing, touching down smoothly despite the heavy rain.

• We touched down ten minutes ahead of schedule, which was a pleasant surprise.

  We touched down ten minutes ahead of schedule, which was a pleasant surprise.

• Passengers are requested to remain seated until the aircraft has touched down and come to a complete stop.

  Passengers are requested to remain seated until the aircraft has touched down and come to a complete stop.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ The flight will touch down to Tokyo soon.

  ✓ The flight will touch down in Tokyo soon.

  Use the preposition 'in' (or sometimes 'at' for airports), not 'to', when specifying the location of landing.

• ✗ We touchdowned at midnight.

  ✓ We touched down at midnight.

  'Touch down' is a two-word phrasal verb. The past tense marker '-ed' must be added to the verb 'touch', not the particle 'down'.

Related Expressions

Practice

• Our flight is expected to ___ in New York in about twenty minutes.

  💡 Land on the runway.

  Show answer

  touch down

• They safely ___ despite the strong crosswinds at the airport.

  💡 Past tense of landing.

  Show answer

  touched down