goalpost

American

[gohl-pohst] / ˈgoʊlˌpoʊst /

Or goal post

noun

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

goalpost British

/ ˈɡəʊlˌpəʊst /

noun

either of two upright posts supporting the crossbar of a goal
to change the aims of an activity to ensure the desired results

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

goalposts

plural

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.

"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 • Nov. 24, 2025

Awoniyi was taken to hospital on Monday, having collided with a goalpost in the closing stages of the 2-2 draw against Leicester City on Sunday.

From BBC • May 14, 2025

It's like moving the goalpost just as the person catches up when it's already difficult enough to get to the starting line.

From Salon • Mar. 11, 2024

On the go-ahead score, Sharangovich took a pass from Dryden Hunt, strode over the Kings blue line and ripped a shot inside the goalpost on Talbot’s glove side.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 28, 2024

But I wonder, too, if Mike Costello felt that way about his when he was leaning against that goalpost.

From "Tangerine" by Edward Bloor

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023