goalpost

noun

goal·​post ˈgōl-ˌpōst How to pronounce goalpost (audio)
: one of usually two vertical posts that with or without a crossbar constitute the goal in various games

Examples of goalpost in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Olympic Games stand alone as the only major sporting event to be largely free of advertising on the ice, in the snow, next to the television score bugs or behind the goalposts. Sara Germano, Sportico.com, 11 Feb. 2026 Moments earlier, the audience had been ushered into a studio that is a homage to America’s favorite game, with Stars and Stripes hanging from the ceiling, NFL memorabilia on the walls and a large plastic football attached to goalposts in the center of the set. Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 7 Feb. 2026 What if hitting the uprights was extra compared to getting the ball through the goalposts? Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 3 Feb. 2026 In a somewhat baffling aside that failed to meet the moment, Jordan Klepper popped in, supposedly live from Minneapolis, to satirize the ever-shifting goalposts of the administration’s justifications for Pretti’s death. Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 26 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for goalpost

Word History

First Known Use

1842, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of goalpost was in 1842

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Goalpost.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/goalpost. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.

Kids Definition

goalpost

noun
goal·​post ˈgōl-ˌpōst How to pronounce goalpost (audio)
: one of two upright posts that serve as the goal in various games
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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