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

He’s made 59 of 67 career field goals — including 6 of 10 from 50 yards — and all 173 of his extra points. — Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 24 July 2026

But amid all the fun, WWE superstar Cody Rhodes has to be a little red-faced after video of him attempting to kick a field goal has gone viral. — Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 17 July 2026

Ogwumike reached 3,000 career field goals early in the fourth on a 3-pointer. — ABC News, 11 July 2026

Her first field goal was a layup with less than three minutes left to cut the Valkyries’ lead to six points before Salaün’s trio of triples. — Michael Nowels, Mercury News, 9 July 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