penalty kick

noun

1
: a free kick in rugby
2
: a free kick at the goal in soccer made from a point 12 yards in front of the goal and allowed for certain violations within a designated area around the goal

Examples of penalty kick in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Two minutes later, Ally Sentnor converted the resulting penalty kick past goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn to put Angel City (11-8-6) ahead in Sandy, Utah. — Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026 Then, Thorns forward Caiya Hanks drew a foul on Oihane Hernández in the 27th minute, and Wilson converted the penalty kick to double the lead. — ABC News, 20 Sep. 2026 On Saturday, the club were part of the half-time entertainment at the Riverside, youngsters taking penalty kicks. — Michael Walker, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026 Marco Reus scored on a penalty kick in the 44th minute and Los Angeles (7-10-9) took a 1-0 lead into halftime. — CBS News, 13 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for penalty kick

Word History

First Known Use

1889, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of penalty kick was in 1889

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Penalty kick.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/penalty%20kick. Accessed 30 Sep. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on penalty kick

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster