Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

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

"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

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.

“Maybe you are the proprietor of the world’s pre-eminent manufacturer of tennis court nets? Fishnets? Volleyball nets? Goalpost nets?” his listing reads.

From New York Times • Nov. 11, 2014

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.