own goal

noun

1

chiefly British : a goal in soccer, hockey, etc., that a player accidentally scores against his or her own team

2

British : something that one does thinking it will help him or her but that actually causes one harm

The workers scored an own goal by demanding such high wages that no one could afford to employ them.

Examples of own goal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Striker Dejan Joveljic slotted home his team-leading fifth goal of the year, booting in an 18th-minute mistake by the Sounders in front of their own goal. —The Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 2 May 2026

One largely irrelevant but telling incident was when Bayern won possession, and PSG right-back Achraf Hakimi took that as his cue to start moving up the pitch rather than retreating towards his own goal. —Michael Cox, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2026

The Loons surged to start the second half with an own goal from San Jose in the 59th minute. —Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 28 Apr. 2026

Summit defender Carson Pickett steered in an own goal in the 65th minute while trying to clear a pass destined for a back-post tap-in. —Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 26 Apr. 2026

Rhymes for own goal

• bankroll
• bedroll
• borehole
• cajole
• catchpole
• charcoal
• condole
• control
• dipole
• downhole
• enroll
• extol