punt

1 of 7

verb (1)

punted; punting; punts

transitive verb

1
: to kick (something, such as a football or soccer ball) with the top of the foot before the ball which is dropped from the hands hits the ground
2
: to pass (something, such as a problem) to someone else
The mayor, according to his press release, has punted this problem back to city staff …John Lorinc
3
: to defer (something) indefinitely : table sense 1a
There's a sense that leaders around the state would rather punt the issue of high school sports … than make a difficult decision.Morning Sentinel (Waterville, ME)

intransitive verb

1
: to punt a ball
2
: to defer a decision about something
often used with on
According to the report, the consensus for now appears to be to punt on whether an invention conceived of by AI is eligible for patent protection …Chethan K. Srinivasa
… while Congress continues to punt on the issue, four states passed ballot initiatives in 2014 to raise the minimum wage and cities across the country have committed to or already done the same.Katie McDonough

punt

2 of 7

noun (1)

: the act or an instance of punting (see punt entry 1) a ball

punt

3 of 7

noun (2)

: a long narrow flat-bottomed boat with square ends usually propelled with a pole

punt

4 of 7

verb (2)

punted; punting; punts

transitive verb

: to propel (a boat, such as a punt) with a pole

punt

5 of 7

noun (3)

: the monetary pound of Ireland

punt

6 of 7

verb (3)

punted; punting; punts

intransitive verb

1
: to play at a gambling game against the banker
2
British : gamble

punt

7 of 7

noun (4)

plural punts
: a concave indentation in the bottom of a wine bottle

Examples of punt in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
The moment was cut by the time the ad aired during the Super Bowl. 11d ago / 5:59 PM PST Jason Abbruzzese The Chiefs are stopped just short of a first down and punt the ball away. Jason Abbruzzese, NBC News, 12 Feb. 2024 That didn’t happen as San Francisco was stopped and punted. Steve Gardner, USA TODAY, 11 Feb. 2024 Brock Purdy gets some yards back, but the 49ers have to punt on 4th and 12 (after a false start call). Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News, 11 Feb. 2024 Had the Bucs used their final timeout after Goff's last kneel down, the Lions would have been forced to try a 47-yard field goal to ice the game or punt and pin the Bucs deep in their own territory. Dave Birkett, Detroit Free Press, 22 Jan. 2024 The bill punts the spending deadlines from March 1 and March 8 to March 8 and March 22, respectively. Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2024 The City Council punted to voters, who will decide whether Mobility Plan 2035 should become law. Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2024 Congress has for months punted the spending fight down the road as House conservatives have pushed for steep cuts and policy changes, and those disagreements haven't been resolved. Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 28 Feb. 2024 Yet, for the second year in a row, Joe Biden has punted, possibly a smart move considering how most Joe Biden speaking engagements go these days. Doug McIntyre, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024
Noun
In another key area, Mr. Biden’s proposal punts on key details: what to do about the provisions of the 2017 Republican tax law, including tax cuts for individuals, that expire in 2025. Jim Tankersley, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2024 Ray-Ray McCloud was a serviceable return specialist, but perhaps his final image in a 49ers uniform was the failure to pounce on a punt that ricocheted off unsuspecting rookie Darrell Luter Jr.’s foot. Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024 The Bill, facing a 4th-and-five from their own 30-yard line, decided to check into a fake punt in which safety Damar Hamlin fielded a direct snap. Lorenzo Reyes, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024 Roles included are punt coverage, punt returns, kick offs, kick returns, field goals and extra-point kicks after touchdowns. Ben Morse, CNN, 21 Feb. 2024 The Panthers employed Edwards from 2010 to 2013, trying to switch him from quarterback to wide receiver and punt returner with little success. Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 13 Feb. 2024 In college, Richards was known for his speed as a wide receiver and a punt returner — once leading the nation in return touchdowns during his junior year at Brigham Young University. Sean Neumann, Peoplemag, 26 Feb. 2024 But even if there were nearly as many punts (14) as total points in a game where New England matched Pittsburgh with its sixth Lombardi – while putting a dent in McVay's genius label – this matchup wasn't lacking for drama. Nate Davis, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024 Slater was a key component of the Patriots’ successful run under head coach Bill Belichick, providing leadership and excellence on kick and punt returns. Ben Morse, CNN, 21 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'punt.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

origin unknown

Noun (2)

Middle English *punt, from Old English, from Latin ponton-, ponto

Noun (3)

Irish, pound, from English pound

Verb (3)

French ponter, from ponte point in some games, play against the banker, from Spanish punto point, from Latin punctum — more at point

Noun (4)

probably a shortening of punt mark or a similar collocation with punt "metal rod used in fashioning hot glass" (shortened from punty), referring to the mark left by the rod in a piece of blown glass

First Known Use

Verb (1)

1845, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (1)

1845, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

1759, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

1975, in the meaning defined above

Verb (3)

1712, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (4)

1862, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of punt was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near punt

Cite this Entry

“Punt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/punt. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

punt

1 of 4 noun
: a long narrow flat-bottomed boat with square ends usually pushed along with a pole

punt

2 of 4 verb
: to propel (as a punt) with a pole

punt

3 of 4 verb
: to kick a football before it touches the ground when dropped from the hands
punter noun

punt

4 of 4 noun
: the act or an instance of punting a ball
Etymology

Noun

Old English punt "a flat-bottomed boat pushed along with a pole," from Latin ponton-, ponto "punt, floating bridge, pontoon" — related to pontoon

Verb

origin unknown

Geographical Definition

Punt

geographical name

a part of Africa not certainly identified but probably Somaliland
an ancient Egyptian name

More from Merriam-Webster on punt

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