punted; punting; punts
1
: to kick (something, such as a football or soccer ball) with the top of the foot before the ball which is dropped from the hands hits the ground
2
: to pass (something, such as a problem) to someone else
The mayor, according to his press release, has punted this problem back to city staff …—John Lorinc
3
: to defer (something) indefinitely : table sense 1a
There's a sense that leaders around the state would rather punt the issue of high school sports … than make a difficult decision.—Morning Sentinel (Waterville, ME)
1
: to punt a ball
2
: to defer a decision about something
—often used with on
According to the report, the consensus for now appears to be to punt on whether an invention conceived of by AI is eligible for patent protection …—Chethan K. Srinivasa
… while Congress continues to punt on the issue, four states passed ballot initiatives in 2014 to raise the minimum wage and cities across the country have committed to or already done the same.—Katie McDonough
: the act or an instance of punting (see punt entry 1) a ball
: a long narrow flat-bottomed boat with square ends usually propelled with a pole
punted; punting; punts
: to propel (a boat, such as a punt) with a pole
punted; punting; punts
Cite this Entry
“Punt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/punt. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.
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