countdown

noun

count·​down ˈkau̇nt-ˌdau̇n How to pronounce countdown (audio)
: an audible backward counting in fixed units (such as seconds) from an arbitrary starting number to mark the time remaining before an event
also : preparations carried on during such a count
count down intransitive verb

Examples of countdown in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Last year, Swift, 34, Bad Bunny, The Weeknd, Drake and Mexican star Peso Pluma came out on top of the annual countdown. Sabienna Bowman, People.com, 21 Oct. 2024 Koch made the announcement during Cohen's countdown of the most iconic full-frontal nude scenes in entertainment history, which also included mentions of Jude Law in The Talented Mr. Ripley, Kate Winslet in Titanic, Daniel Radcliffe in the play Equus, and Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct. Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 15 Oct. 2024 Topline Vice President Kamala Harris is sitting for an interview with Fox News for the first time on Wednesday during her election countdown sprint of interviews, a possible overture to the channel's conservative-leaning viewers. Stephen Pastis, Forbes, 14 Oct. 2024 And so the countdown begins: 131 days until there’s baseball again. Ryan Ford, Detroit Free Press, 14 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for countdown 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'countdown.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1952, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of countdown was circa 1952

Dictionary Entries Near countdown

Cite this Entry

“Countdown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/countdown. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

countdown

noun
count·​down ˈkau̇nt-ˌdau̇n How to pronounce countdown (audio)
: the process of counting off backward in fixed units (as seconds) the time remaining before an event (as the launching of a rocket)
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!