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field goal
noun
1
: a score of three points in football made by drop-kicking or placekicking the ball over the crossbar from ordinary play
2
: a goal in basketball made while the ball is in play
Examples of field goal in a Sentence
He kicked a 20-yard field goal.
Recent Examples on the Web
Oddly enough, that earlier game was a relative barnburner, as Los Angeles fought back from a 13-0 deficit before matters were settled by a 57-yard field goal in overtime.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 28 Jan. 2025
Kicker Harrison Butker put the Chiefs up three with a field goal in the fourth, and the Bills ultimately weren't able to get around Kansas City's defense in the final minutes.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, People.com, 27 Jan. 2025
That game ended with a drive led by rookie quarterback Caleb Williams and punctuated by a walk-off 51-yard field goal by Cairo Santos.
—Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 27 Jan. 2025
After the Eagles tied the score with a touchdown and two-point conversion — both on Jalen Hurts runs — with 5:15 left in the fourth quarter, Mahomes engineered a game-winning field goal drive.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 27 Jan. 2025
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Word History
First Known Use
1883, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near field goal
Cite this Entry
“Field goal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/field%20goal. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.
Kids Definition
field goal
noun1
: a score of three points in football made by kicking the ball over the crossbar during ordinary play
2
More from Merriam-Webster on field goal
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about field goal
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