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

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.

He showed his desperation to score when he slid in at the backpost in the hope of connecting with an Anthony Elanga cross, only to collide with the goalpost.

From BBC • May 11, 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

Then came a month of more misses than makes, with a botched extra-point attempt against the Buffalo Bills and a 26-yarder that clanged off the right goalpost in New England.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 16, 2024

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

A school bus moved in the distance beyond the football goalpost.

From "Crash" by Jerry Spinelli

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