punted; punting; punts
1
: to kick (something, such as a football or soccer ball) with the top of the foot before the ball which is dropped from the hands hits the ground
2
: to pass (something, such as a problem) to someone else
The mayor, according to his press release, has punted this problem back to city staff …—
John Lorinc
John Lorinc3
: to defer (something) indefinitely : table sense 1a
There's a sense that leaders around the state would rather punt the issue of high school sports … than make a difficult decision.—Morning Sentinel (Waterville, ME)
Morning Sentinel (Waterville, ME)1
: to punt a ball
2
: to defer a decision about something
—often used with on
According to the report, the consensus for now appears to be to punt on whether an invention conceived of by AI is eligible for patent protection …—Chethan K. Srinivasa
Chethan K. Srinivasa… while Congress continues to punt on the issue, four states passed ballot initiatives in 2014 to raise the minimum wage and cities across the country have committed to or already done the same.—Katie McDonough
Katie McDonough
: the act or an instance of punting (see punt entry 1) a ball
: a long narrow flat-bottomed boat with square ends usually propelled with a pole
punted; punting; punts
: to propel (a boat, such as a punt) with a pole
punted; punting; punts
Examples of punt in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Greg Rosenstein, NBC News, 15 Nov. 2024
Total consumption has held up remarkably well despite gyrations in prices and wages, delivering strong growth and punting away persistent fears of recession.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2024
Jeff Faraudo, The Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2024
More news: Chiefs vs Buccaneers Expert Predictions for Monday Night Football Week 9
Hardman had an impressive punt return before the Chiefs' second drive of the game.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for punt 
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Verb
Copied Share Commanders punt after nine plays Rohan Nadkarni
Austin Ekeler dropped a drag route on 3rd-and-9, ending a Commanders drive at the Eagles’ 46.
—Greg Rosenstein, NBC News, 15 Nov. 2024
Total consumption has held up remarkably well despite gyrations in prices and wages, delivering strong growth and punting away persistent fears of recession.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2024
Noun
Two other weapons are running back Demond Claiborne (711 rushing yards, 8 touchdowns) and wide receiver Taylor Morin, who has 202 career catches and also is tied for fourth nationally with a 17.5-yard punt return average . . .
—Jeff Faraudo, The Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2024
More news: Chiefs vs Buccaneers Expert Predictions for Monday Night Football Week 9
Hardman had an impressive punt return before the Chiefs' second drive of the game.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for punt
Dictionary Entries Near punt
Cite this Entry
“Punt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/punt. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
punt
1 of 4 noun
: a long narrow flat-bottomed boat with square ends usually pushed along with a pole
punt
2 of 4 verb
: to propel (as a punt) with a pole
punt
3 of 4 verb
: to kick a football before it touches the ground when dropped from the hands
punter
noun
punt
4 of 4 noun
: the act or an instance of punting a ball
Etymology
Noun
Old English punt "a flat-bottomed boat pushed along with a pole," from Latin ponton-, ponto "punt, floating bridge, pontoon" — related to pontoon
Verb
origin unknown
Geographical Definition
Punt
geographical name
a part of Africa not certainly identified but probably Somaliland
—an ancient Egyptian name
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