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
Within three seconds, five PSG players have committed to press and centre-back Francesco Acerbi is facing his own goal — Dembele is on top of him.
—
Liam Tharme, New York Times, 2 June 2025
On balance, the McKinley tariff was an own goal for U.S. policymakers like Blaine.
—Joseph Thorndike, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
Wirtz runs towards his own goal, dragging a player out of the final line.
—Mark Carey, New York Times, 16 May 2025
Galaxy Maya Yoshida’s own goal dooms winless Galaxy to loss against Kansas City
May 4, 2025
The team has suddenly become the best at worsts.
—Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for own goal
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Liam Tharme, New York Times, 2 June 2025
On balance, the McKinley tariff was an own goal for U.S. policymakers like Blaine.
—Joseph Thorndike, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
Wirtz runs towards his own goal, dragging a player out of the final line.
—Mark Carey, New York Times, 16 May 2025
Galaxy Maya Yoshida’s own goal dooms winless Galaxy to loss against Kansas City
May 4, 2025
The team has suddenly become the best at worsts.
—Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for own goal
Cite this Entry
“Own goal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/own%20goal. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share