punt

1 of 7

verb (1)

punted; punting; punts

transitive verb

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)

intransitive verb

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

punt

2 of 7

noun (1)

: the act or an instance of punting (see punt entry 1) a ball

punt

3 of 7

noun (2)

: a long narrow flat-bottomed boat with square ends usually propelled with a pole

punt

4 of 7

verb (2)

punted; punting; punts

transitive verb

: to propel (a boat, such as a punt) with a pole

punt

5 of 7

noun (3)

: the monetary pound of Ireland

punt

6 of 7

verb (3)

punted; punting; punts

intransitive verb

1
: to play at a gambling game against the banker
2
British : gamble

punt

7 of 7

noun (4)

plural punts
: a concave indentation in the bottom of a wine bottle

Examples of punt 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.
Verb
And when Love fired incomplete for Doubs on third down, the Packers punted after just three plays. Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2025 Both teams must remain motionless until the ball has been punted. Dan Albano, Oc Register, 7 Aug. 2025
Noun
Hardman, part of two Super Bowl champion teams in Kansas City, hurt his chances with two poor decisions — and one fumble — on punt returns in Green Bay’s preseason opener. Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025 Perich became the only FBS freshman since 1976 to record more than 100 punt return yards, 100 kick return yards and five picks in a season. Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 12 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for punt

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

origin unknown

Noun (2)

Middle English *punt, from Old English, from Latin ponton-, ponto

Noun (3)

Irish, pound, from English pound

Verb (3)

French ponter, from ponte point in some games, play against the banker, from Spanish punto point, from Latin punctum — more at point

Noun (4)

probably a shortening of punt mark or a similar collocation with punt "metal rod used in fashioning hot glass" (shortened from punty), referring to the mark left by the rod in a piece of blown glass

First Known Use

Verb (1)

1845, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (1)

1845, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

1759, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

1975, in the meaning defined above

Verb (3)

1712, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (4)

1862, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of punt was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Punt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/punt. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

punt

1 of 4 noun
: a long narrow flat-bottomed boat with square ends usually pushed along with a pole

punt

2 of 4 verb
: to propel (as a punt) with a pole

punt

3 of 4 verb
: to kick a football before it touches the ground when dropped from the hands
punter noun

punt

4 of 4 noun
: the act or an instance of punting a ball
Etymology

Noun

Old English punt "a flat-bottomed boat pushed along with a pole," from Latin ponton-, ponto "punt, floating bridge, pontoon" — related to pontoon

Verb

origin unknown

Geographical Definition

Punt

geographical name

a part of Africa not certainly identified but probably Somaliland
an ancient Egyptian name

More from Merriam-Webster on punt

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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