The phrasal verb "touch down" is predominantly used in both informal and semi-formal contexts, especially relating to aviation and sports. In aviation, it refers to the moment an aircraft makes contact with the ground upon landing, and is regularly used in both professional communications, such as aviation reports and informal discussions about travel, making it quite versatile. In sports, particularly American football and rugby, it is used to describe the act of scoring a goal or point by grounding the ball in the opponent's end zone or goal area. Its usage may also extend metaphorically to indicate the act of arriving or coming to rest, which can be used in various contexts, including discussing someone's arrival from a metaphorical "journey" or "adventure." Its general tone is relatively neutral, carrying neither positive nor negative connotations, making it suitable for diverse uses, although not typically found in the most formal written prose.
B2
UpperIntermediate
1. To make contact with the ground after being in the air, typically said of aircraft or spacecraft.
The plane touched down smoothly on the runway.
After a long flight, we finally touched down in Paris.
2. Sometimes used metaphorically to describe arriving or reaching a destination.
The president's plane will touch down in the capital at noon.