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

Summit defender Carson Pickett steered in an own goal in the 65th minute while trying to clear a pass destined for a back-post tap-in. —Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 26 Apr. 2026

The comeback was completed in the 65th minute for the visitors on an own goal from defender Carson Pickett. —ABC News, 26 Apr. 2026

Dudinha completed the trifecta for San Diego by forcing an own goal in the 65th minute. —Melanie Anzidei, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2026

Stewart would have been more alert to the danger of blundering into an own goal against herself if the campaign for the party’s nomination for governor had included debates between Stewart, state Sen. Ryan Fazio, and former New York Lt. Gov. Betsy McCaughey. —Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 25 Apr. 2026

Rhymes for own goal

• bankroll
• bedroll
• borehole
• cajole
• catchpole
• charcoal
• condole
• control
• dipole
• downhole
• enroll
• extol