kick off 1 of 2

verb

Definition of kick offnext
1
as in to begin
to take the first step in (a process or course of action) I'll kick off the discussion on ethics with this question

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2
as in to die
slang to stop living surprisingly, the recluse was worth a cool million when he kicked off

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kickoff

2 of 2

noun

ˈkik-ˌȯf How to pronounce kickoff (audio)
as in beginning
the point at which something begins a political cycle in which an election marks not only the end of one campaign but also the kickoff for the next one

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of kick off
Verb
Slauson Malone 1, the musical project and performance piece of artist Jasper Marsalis, kicked off the night followed by sets from Ledbyher and Sinn6r. — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 4 Sep. 2026 But to kick off the tournament, Lawson went with some more senior members on the squad to begin their journey to defending that gold medal. — Scott Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026
Noun
The Yellow Jackets’ only touchdown on the night was a 100-yard kickoff returned for the score by Rahkeem Smith in the second quarter. — Scott Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026 Alberto Mendoza had a really good first half, going 8-of-12 for 105 yards, but the big play was the 105-yard kickoff return by Rahkeem Smith. — AJC.com, 3 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for kick off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kick off
  1. begin
  2. die
  3. beginning
  4. start
  5. fall
  6. commencement
  7. commence
  8. pass away
Verb
  • As Georgia’s college campuses are bustling with students again, this edition of the AJC On Campus roundup begins with a $250,000 settlement.
    — Jason Armesto, AJC.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • According to the federal indictment, Castro told an FBI agent that a man grabbed a red broom off a front porch and began hitting him with it while Castro was trying to detain another man outside a Minneapolis home.
    — Valerie Gonzalez, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of begin
Verb
  • Last month, the family of Christopher Hawley, who died after a ride in 2022, reached a settlement with the park and with ride manufacturer S&S Worldwide Inc, said KTLA.
    — Chas Newkey-Burden, TheWeek, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Knight was wounded but survived the attack, while Shakur was struck multiple times and died six days later at age 25.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of die
Noun
  • The question that matters most A famous name should be the beginning of the conversation, not the end of it.
    — Jason St. Angelo, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The new findings indicate that last year’s increases were a momentary surge, rather than the beginning of a positive trend.
    — Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of beginning
Verb
  • To improve chances of a timely reply, patients should start messages by greeting their doctor by name, ideally including both first and last names.
    — Paul Hsieh, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2026
  • And then Joe Milton started putting it together and had two outstanding preseason games.
    — Jon Machota, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of start
Verb
  • The share of mid-cap companies in that has increased to 20% from 14% while that of 100 large-cap companies has fallen from 78% to 72%, the report showed.
    — Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The company says its reactor’s electrical output falls within the range of a high-performance vehicle drivetrain.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of fall
Noun
  • With the acclaim came the awards, the invitations to give commencement speeches, the honorary degrees, the chance to perform before thousands of fans at big-time sports events.
    — Corky Siemaszko, NBC news, 25 Aug. 2026
  • In a 1991 commencement speech at Georgia Tech, Brian Dyson told students to imagine life as a game of juggling five balls — work, family, health, friends and spirit.
    — Amy Wenk, AJC.com, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of commencement
Verb
  • The program picked four international applicants out of nearly 1,000 for a six-month fellowship commencing this month in London along with a cash prize of £10,000 ($13,480) each.
    — Hikmat Mohammed, ARTnews.com, 2 Sep. 2026
  • This week, London’s Serpentine Galleries announced the launch of a six-month fellowship program, commencing in September, that will award four artists working with artificial intelligence grants of £10,000.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of commence
Verb
  • About one year after this event, Nancy passed away at the age of 93.
    — Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The iconic singer and philanthropist passed away Tuesday at the age of 80.
    — The NPR Network, NPR, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of pass away

Browse Nearby Words

kicking upstairs
kick off
kickoff
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Cite this Entry

“Kick off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kick%20off. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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