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
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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

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Cite this Entry

“Own goal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/own%20goal. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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