sticking the landing

Verb

stick the landing (third-person singular simple present sticks the landing, present participle sticking the landing, simple past and past participle stuck the landing)

1. To complete a gymnastic or other athletic routine involving leaps, vaults, somersaults, etc. by landing firmly, solidly, and flawlessly on one's feet.
   • When Park came down from his vault, sticking the landing perfectly upright and unwavering, a huge roar went up from the 13,596 spectators.1988 September 24, Lawrie Mifflin, “Seoul Olympics: Soviet Men on Another Roll”, in New York Times, retrieved 01 May 2018
2. To execute a flawless landing (of an aircraft, rocket, or space capsule).
   • When the Philae lander, released by the comet-chasing Rosetta spacecraft, first tried to touch down on Nov. 12 in an area later named Agilkia, it could not stick the landing. The anchoring harpoons and retro-rockets did not work and the lander bounced off the comet.2015 July 31, Amina Khan, “After a bounce, Rosetta's Philae lander serves up cometary surprises”, in Los Angeles Times, retrieved 01 May 2018
3. (broadly, idiomatic) To complete a process in an impressive and conclusive manner.
   • This was a big speech with a high degree of difficulty. And, Don Jr. stuck the landing.2016 July 19, Chris Cillizza, “Winners and losers from the second night of the Republican National Convention”, in Los Angeles Times, retrieved 01 May 2018