own goal
noun
1
chiefly British
: a goal in soccer, hockey, etc., that a player accidentally scores against his or her own team
2
British
: something that one does thinking it will help him or her but that actually causes one harm
The workers scored an own goal by demanding such high wages that no one could afford to employ them.
Examples of own goal in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Royals went ahead on an own goal in the 22nd minute.
—
ABC News, 17 May 2026
The Colombian team was a heavy favorite at the 1994 World Cup, but was knocked out in the group stage, in part because of an own goal scored by the team’s captain, Andrés Escobar.
—Tushaar Kuthiala, Encyclopedia Britannica, 15 May 2026
Messi scored in the 24th and 55th minutes, and was credited with a third goal in the 89th, but it was later ruled an own goal by Cincinnati goalkeeper Roman Celentano, nixing the apparent Messi hat trick.
—Miami Herald, 14 May 2026
Striker Dejan Joveljic slotted home his team-leading fifth goal of the year, booting in an 18th-minute mistake by the Sounders in front of their own goal.
—The Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 2 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for own goal
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
ABC News, 17 May 2026
The Colombian team was a heavy favorite at the 1994 World Cup, but was knocked out in the group stage, in part because of an own goal scored by the team’s captain, Andrés Escobar.
—Tushaar Kuthiala, Encyclopedia Britannica, 15 May 2026
Messi scored in the 24th and 55th minutes, and was credited with a third goal in the 89th, but it was later ruled an own goal by Cincinnati goalkeeper Roman Celentano, nixing the apparent Messi hat trick.
—Miami Herald, 14 May 2026
Striker Dejan Joveljic slotted home his team-leading fifth goal of the year, booting in an 18th-minute mistake by the Sounders in front of their own goal.
—The Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 2 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for own goal
Cite this Entry
“Own goal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/own%20goal. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
