splashdown
noun
splash·down
ˈsplash-ˌdau̇n 
plural splashdowns
: the landing of a crewed spacecraft in the ocean
splash down
intransitive verb
Examples of splashdown in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
SpaceX recovery crews reached the Crew Dragon capsule shortly after splashdown and hauled it aboard a company ship before opening its hatch and helping the returning station crew out of the spacecraft for initial medical checks.
—
William Harwood, CBS News, 15 Jan. 2026
Cardman, Crew-11's commander, said shortly after splashdown.
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 15 Jan. 2026
Dragon will pass directly over Santa Barbara, California, past Los Angeles and Long Beach, California, heading for a splashdown off the coast of San Diego.
—Brooke Edwards, USA Today, 14 Jan. 2026
The project started with a simulated takeoff and concluded with a simulated splashdown.
—Bob Goldsborough, Chicago Tribune, 2 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Splashdown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/splashdown. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
Kids Definition
splashdown
noun
splash·down
ˈsplash-ˌdau̇n
: the landing of a spacecraft in the ocean
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