: 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
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Don’t forget, the teenage Keegan was playing in a pub team and had taken a job at a local factory, the Pegler brassworks, before getting his first break at Scunthorpe United, training on a rugby pitch with the wrong-sized goalposts. Daniel Taylor, New York Times, 20 July 2026 The French superstar winced after a free kick sailed over the goalpost in the 88th minute. Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 July 2026 But the goalposts keep shifting, raising the stakes ahead of this week’s summit in Turkey. Lorne Cook, Fortune, 5 July 2026 Even the goal of the Michelin star was kind of underplayed in the end — what seemed like the goalpost became a spiritual McGuffin. Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 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

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Cite this Entry

“Goalpost.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/goalpost. Accessed 24 Jul. 2026.

Kids Definition

: one of two upright posts that serve as the goal in various games
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