score a point

Meaning

To earn a unit of scoring in a game, sport, or debate. While it literally refers to games, it is also used metaphorically to describe making a successful argument or gaining an advantage in a discussion.

Examples

• He managed to score a point right before the buzzer sounded.

  He managed to score a point right before the buzzer sounded.

• You need to score a point in this round to stay in the game.

  You need to score a point in this round to stay in the game.

• She made a great argument and definitely scored a point against her opponent.

  She made a great argument and definitely scored a point against her opponent.

• It's not about trying to score a point; we just need to find a solution.

  It's not about trying to score a point; we just need to find a solution.

• Every time you answer a trivia question correctly, you score a point.

  Every time you answer a trivia question correctly, you score a point.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ He made a point in the basketball game.

  ✓ He scored a point in the basketball game.

  In sports and physical games, you 'score' points. 'Make a point' is used when expressing an opinion in a discussion.

• ✗ Our team won a point.

  ✓ Our team scored a point.

  While you can 'win a game' or 'win a match', the action of earning the individual unit of score is typically 'scoring' a point.

Related Expressions

Practice

• In basketball, you ___ every time the ball goes through the hoop.

  💡 earn a unit of score

  Show answer

  score a point

• He tried to ___ in the debate by bringing up her past mistakes.

  💡 gain an advantage in an argument

  Show answer

  score a point