goalpost
Americannoun
noun
-
either of two upright posts supporting the crossbar of a goal
-
to change the aims of an activity to ensure the desired results
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of goalpost
First recorded in 1855–60
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Even the goal of the Michelin star was kind of underplayed in the end — what seemed like the goalpost became a spiritual McGuffin.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026
"There are so many people that have travelled and done so many things, that the benchmark or the goalpost for unique experiences is constantly moving."
From BBC ● May 13, 2025
By the skin of their teeth, and the width of a goalpost, the bookmakers were proven right when they made England favourites at Twickenham.
From BBC ● Mar. 7, 2025
It was still a one-goal game in the second period when Matthews, who led the NHL with 69 goals this season, caught Swayman away from the crease but banged the puck off the goalpost.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 20, 2024
She had 36 shinnied up a goalpost, tightrope-walked out to the middle of the crossbar, and was now standing there with her arms raised in a touchdown sign.
From "Stargirl" by Jerry Spinelli
"I was on the pitch that day. My dad's got a bit of Wembley turf in his garden somewhere still - but no goalposts," said Jim.
From BBC ● Jun. 10, 2026
But he added "we encountered maximalism, shifting goalposts, and blockade".
From Barron's ● Apr. 13, 2026
Near a soccer match where the players brought in their own goalposts because the city can’t provide any.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 22, 2026
The financial goalposts are shifting as companies prepare to take on increasing amounts of debt.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 9, 2025
Only one boy managed to remain airborne for more than a few seconds, and he was so surprised he promptly crashed into one of the goalposts.
From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
