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
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.
Cool story, kicker from Marist and all, but five short field goals, none a game-winner, wasn’t trumping Kenneth Walker III’s 135 yards rushing. Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 15 Feb. 2026 The Zags scored 11 of the next 13 points for a 66-62 lead, cranking up their transition game while the Broncos went seven possessions without a field goal. Jeff Faraudo, Mercury News, 15 Feb. 2026 One of her last field goals was a step-back 3-pointer off the dribble that only a handful of players in the country are capable of making. Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026 Seattle kick returner Rashid Shaheed made Super Bowl history with six fair catches; Seahawks kicker Jason Myers connected for five field goals, also a record; and the Patriots, appearing in their record 12th Super Bowl, lost the NFL’s marquee game for the sixth time, the most for any franchise. Robert Abitbol, USA Today, 14 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for field goal

Word History

First Known Use

1883, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of field goal was in 1883

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Field goal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/field%20goal. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.

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

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