sticking the landing
Perfect gymnastics finish
Sticking the landing comes from gymnastics, where it means landing firmly after a dismount or tumble without stumbling or taking extra steps.
The phrase has spread to any situation where someone finishes strong after a difficult maneuver: The movie had a weak middle act but really stuck the landing.
It emphasizes that endings matter—a flawless performance can be ruined by a shaky finish.
- completionAct of finishing
- confidenceSelf-assurance or trust
- balanceSteadiness or amount owed
- coordinationOrganized cooperative movement
- executionCompleting a planned task
mastery · precision · floor routine · balance beam · composure · determination · dismount · finesse · follow-through · nailed it · perfect ten · gold medal · agility · stability · dead center · focus · under pressure · satisfaction
sticking the landingcrashing and burning
Failing dramatically and publicly
wiping out · falling flat · losing control · wobbling · face-planting
sticking the landingdropping the ball
Failing at a crucial moment
fizzling out · petering out · snatching defeat from the jaws of victory · anticlimactic ending · falling short
stick, sticking, sticks, sticky, stickiness, sticker, stickers, landing, landed