: a player who defends the goal in any of various games (such as hockey, lacrosse, or soccer)

Examples of goalkeeper in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Nick Pope has been omitted from every matchday squad under Jaissle and the head coach has hinted that the 34-year-old can leave, given Lukas Hornicek and Ewen Jaouen are set to be first- and second-choice goalkeepers. Chris Waugh, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026 Tara Rudd drove toward Angel City’s back line and threaded a pass through to Rodman, who raced downfield and curled a shot just over goalkeeper Angelina Anderson. Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2026 Danish forward Anders Dreyer stepped up and beat LAFC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris to spoil what would have been the Frenchman’s 11th clean sheet in 17 MLS matches this season. Josh Gross, Daily News, 16 Aug. 2026 In the 62nd minute, Miami goalkeeper Rocco Rios-Novo misread a goal kick from Schwake and fell over, which allowed Mukhtar to gain control of the loose ball and extend Nashville's lead to 4-1. CBS News, 16 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for goalkeeper

Word History

First Known Use

1789, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of goalkeeper was in 1789

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Cite this Entry

“Goalkeeper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/goalkeeper. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

Kids Definition

goalkeeper

noun
: a player who defends the goal in various games

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