field goal

noun

1

: a score of three points in football made by drop-kicking or placekicking the ball over the crossbar from ordinary play

2

: a goal in basketball made while the ball is in play

Examples of field goal in a Sentence

He kicked a 20-yard field goal.

Recent Examples on the Web

His 59-yard field goal against the Chargers two weeks ago was a career long. — Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 2 Oct. 2026

The Dolphins auditioned four kickers two days after that game but decided to stick with Patterson, who is 5 for 7 overall on field goals this season. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 1 Oct. 2026

And the throw that Lamar Jackson made last week to put his team in position against the Cowboys to get that game-winning field goal was great. — Jackson Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 1 Oct. 2026

According to Nielsen, the audience peaked to more than 30 million during the late stages when Baltimore's Tyler Loop made a 56-yard field goal on the last play. — ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1883, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for field goal

• bankroll
• bedroll
• borehole
• cajole
• catchpole
• charcoal
• condole
• control
• dipole
• downhole
• enroll
• extol

Kids Definition

field goal

noun

1

: a score of three points in football made by kicking the ball over the crossbar during ordinary play

2

: basket sense 3b