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
Meanwhile, Congress is on the verge of saddling the economy with a tax code that punishes employers who invest in themselves, fights the Federal Reserve’s disinflation effort, and scores an own goal in favor of our enemies abroad.
—
Ryan Ellis, National Review, 14 Nov. 2023
Either way, this is another own goal by Beijing, which is already pitching a fit about this diplomatic initiative.
—The Editors, National Review, 21 Aug. 2023
Playing as villains themselves, players compete against a number of famous Disney bad guys (Captain Hook, Maleficent, Jafar, Ursula, to name a few), each one with their own goal, allies, and resources.
—Cheryl Fenton, Parents, 27 Oct. 2023
Liberty won, 1-0, with the only goal coming on a Westminster own goal.
—Anthony Maluso, Baltimore Sun, 6 Sep. 2023
Goals scorers were Wilson Banwell, Ethan Colon, Harlan Welsh, Braeden Kelly and an own goal.
—Baltimore Sun Staff, Baltimore Sun, 12 Sep. 2023
Finally, that happened, an apparent own goal giving France the lead in the 10th minute of extra time.
—Frank Dell'apa, BostonGlobe.com, 12 Aug. 2023
In a game that was scoreless until the 88th minute, the U.S. tied the score when Canada’s Scott Kennedy had an own goal in the 115th minute, six minutes after Jacob Shaffelburg put Canada ahead.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2023
The Norwegians fell behind on an own goal, then what amounted to another own goal, as Vilde Boa Risa basically fed Risa Shimizu a perfect assist.
—Frank Dell'apa, BostonGlobe.com, 8 Aug. 2023
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Ryan Ellis, National Review, 14 Nov. 2023
Either way, this is another own goal by Beijing, which is already pitching a fit about this diplomatic initiative.
—The Editors, National Review, 21 Aug. 2023
Playing as villains themselves, players compete against a number of famous Disney bad guys (Captain Hook, Maleficent, Jafar, Ursula, to name a few), each one with their own goal, allies, and resources.
—Cheryl Fenton, Parents, 27 Oct. 2023
Liberty won, 1-0, with the only goal coming on a Westminster own goal.
—Anthony Maluso, Baltimore Sun, 6 Sep. 2023
Goals scorers were Wilson Banwell, Ethan Colon, Harlan Welsh, Braeden Kelly and an own goal.
—Baltimore Sun Staff, Baltimore Sun, 12 Sep. 2023
Finally, that happened, an apparent own goal giving France the lead in the 10th minute of extra time.
—Frank Dell'apa, BostonGlobe.com, 12 Aug. 2023
In a game that was scoreless until the 88th minute, the U.S. tied the score when Canada’s Scott Kennedy had an own goal in the 115th minute, six minutes after Jacob Shaffelburg put Canada ahead.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2023
The Norwegians fell behind on an own goal, then what amounted to another own goal, as Vilde Boa Risa basically fed Risa Shimizu a perfect assist.
—Frank Dell'apa, BostonGlobe.com, 8 Aug. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'own goal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near own goal
Cite this Entry
“Own goal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/own%20goal. Accessed 11 Dec. 2023.
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