goalpost

American  

[gohl-pohst] / ˈgoʊlˌpoʊst /

Or goal post

noun

1. a post supporting a crossbar and, with it, forming the goal on a playing field in certain sports, as football.

---

goalpost British  

/ ˈɡəʊlˌpəʊst /

noun

1. either of two upright posts supporting the crossbar of a goal

2. to change the aims of an activity to ensure the desired results

---

Etymology

Origin of goalpost

First recorded in 1855–60

Example Sentences

The financial goalposts are shifting as companies prepare to take on increasing amounts of debt.

From MarketWatch

"My worry now, as I'm approaching later life, is when can I actually afford to retire? Because the goalpost seems to move," he says.

From BBC

The 99-year-old polo field, where Rogers played with friends including Walt Disney and Clark Gable, is still green and largely unscathed, though the announcer’s booth and goalposts burned.

From Los Angeles Times

The biotech firm UniQure on Monday reported that the FDA had moved the goalposts for approving its Huntington’s disease gene therapy.

From The Wall Street Journal

Their coalition scored a historic victory in 2018, but the alliance began to unravel as the nonagenarian kept shifting the goalposts for handing over power.

From BBC