goalpost

noun

goal·​post ˈgōl-ˌpōst How to pronounce goalpost (audio)
: one of usually two vertical posts that with or without a crossbar constitute the goal in various games

Examples of goalpost 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.
Now is not the time to move the goalposts on test scores. The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2025 Over the past five years, the mainstream country crossover acclaim of acts like Morgan Wallen and Post Malone have twice moved the goalposts on what next-level achievement for a performer like Dickerson could look like. Marcus K. Dowling, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025 As the value of points and miles became more commonly known in the 2010s, airlines began moving the goalposts for earning elite status. Katherine Fan, AFAR Media, 21 Aug. 2025 Black land ownership peaked around the time John Thomas Jr., a formerly enslaved man, bought more than 300 acres after the Civil War, and the goalposts just kept shifting with the times. Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for goalpost

Word History

First Known Use

1842, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of goalpost was in 1842

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Goalpost.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/goalpost. Accessed 3 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

goalpost

noun
goal·​post ˈgōl-ˌpōst How to pronounce goalpost (audio)
: one of two upright posts that serve as the goal in various games
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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