# stick the landing

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/stick-the-landing
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To complete a process in an impressive and conclusive manner.

## Examples

- She finished her presentation perfectly and stuck the landing.
- He wants to stick the landing during his final speech today.
- The team worked hard on the final project and really stuck the landing during the client meeting.
- The chef struggled with the main course but managed to stick the landing by serving a dessert that everyone loved.
- The director worried about the movie's complicated ending, but the final scene was so moving that the film really stuck the landing.
- Despite the mounting pressure and the complexity of the merger, the executive team managed to stick the landing with a flawless final announcement.

## Origin

From the verb stick, in the sense of placing or thrusting something accurately into a specific location. The term relies on the image of precision, as one might fix a physical object firmly in place with a single motion. The idiom does not derive from the aircraft control stick, nor does it share a history with the deadstick landing, where the stick refers to a wooden propeller that has ceased to rotate. It is a matter of accuracy rather than mechanics.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.