landfall

noun

land·​fall ˈlan(d)-ˌfȯl How to pronounce landfall (audio)
1
: a sighting of land after a voyage or flight
2
: a reaching of land (as by a traveler, craft, or storm)
3
: the land first sighted on a voyage or flight

Examples of landfall in a Sentence

From the deck of the boat, we saw our first landfall.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
While a few other tropical storms in the 1970s came close to a landfall in California, all weakened or changed course, avoiding a direct hit. — Nicholas Grondin, The Conversation, 12 Oct. 2026 The president had previously approved emergency declarations for the neighboring states of Florida and Alabama ahead of Isaias' landfall as a hurricane. — Faris Tanyos, CBS News, 10 Oct. 2026 However, a wall of wind shear is expected to slightly destabilize the storm just before landfall — slowing its wind speeds to 100 mph and broadening the system, spreading the high winds and heavy rains even further from the core of the storm. — Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2026 Isaias strengthened into a Category 3 hurricane with 120-mph winds Friday, threatening a late-day landfall near the Alabama-Florida line as crews raced to finish preparations. — Sophie Bates, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for landfall

Word History

First Known Use

1627, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of landfall was in 1627

Phrases Containing landfall

Rhymes for landfall

See All Rhymes for landfall

Browse Nearby Words

landesite
landfall
landfang
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Landfall.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/landfall. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

landfall

noun
land·​fall ˈlan(d)-ˌfȯl How to pronounce landfall (audio)
1
: a sighting or making of land after a voyage or flight
2
: the land first sighted on a voyage or flight
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