kick around

verb

Definition of kick aroundnext
1
as in to debate
to give serious and careful thought to the board spent the afternoon kicking around the feasibility of opening an overseas office

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2
as in to play
to spend time in aimless activity I really can't do much but kick around at work until I get the rest of the submissions

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3
as in to kill time
to spend time doing nothing spent the afternoon kicking around, while his wife bought out the mall

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4
as in to roam
to move about from place to place aimlessly after spending a year in Europe kicking around, the backpacker was ready to return home

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5
as in to abuse
to inflict physical or emotional harm upon children who were raised by an alcoholic father who regularly kicked them around

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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 around Jac Schaeffer, that show's creator, was scheduled to helm this follow-up as well before bowing out of the Marvel machine, and VisionQuest has been kicking around in development for a bit. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 28 Sep. 2026 If there had been a Season 2, Uziel was already kicking around some ideas. — Michael Schneider, Variety, 10 Sep. 2026 Every single night, through that winter, spring and summer, Caldwell and Rothstein kicked around potential game situations and ideas for how to approach them. — Luca Evans, Denver Post, 7 Sep. 2026 The fantasy of a cultural architecture that’s as flexible as culture itself has been kicking around for more than 100 years, and there’s something obscurely disappointing about seeing a technocratic version get put into practice. — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 29 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for kick around
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kick around
  1. debate
  2. play
  3. kick back
  4. roam
  5. abuse
  6. entertain
  7. fool around
  8. veg out
Verb
  • But on Monday, Broadcom CEO Hock Tan likened many of the investors drawn to the AI boom to gamblers and questioned the economics of AI labs as Wall Street debates whether the AI bubble will burst.
    — Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The candidates for county judge debated the county’s most pressing issues, including budget management, flood control and jail diversion.
    — Katie Bartlett, San Antonio Express-News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of debate
Verb
  • Footwear also took a distinctly feminine direction this season, with embellishment playing a major role.
    — Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • This was apparent recently when a judge in Louisiana ruled that players who signed NFL contracts over the summer could return to play their fifth college season at LSU.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of play
Verb
  • Under current rules, decisions from either the City Council or Planning Department can get kicked back and forth indefinitely.
    — Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Besides sliding back and forth and removing completely, the rear seats also kick back in multiple positions.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of kick back
Verb
  • More mature than the party hordes that roam this part of town, the vibe here is the casual elegance that blends drinking rum out of a pineapple while retaining your sophistication while doing it.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Oct. 2026
  • More than 180,000 giant tortoises roaming freely on our atoll is proof of what long-term commitment to conservation can achieve.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of roam
Verb
  • The charges come with additional special allegations, around the victim’s vulnerability and that Tapia abused a trustworthy position.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Early American corporate charters, after all, were granted for limited public purposes and could be revoked when abused.
    — Christopher Marquis, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of abuse
Verb
  • But that kept him entertained, as did his gaming console, which came in handy last year in Rome, when my husband and I slipped out to Piazza del Popolo for a glass of wine.
    — Jeanne Bonner, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The games feature unconventional rules designed to keep the action moving and entertain fans.
    — Adam Thompson, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of entertain
Verb
  • As Marshall and Alice consider one another and then start to fool around, the sequence feels organic and dangerous without being forced.
    — Erin Qualey, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Another horny couple on vacation couldn’t wait until their flight landed to fool around and insisted on doing so in the plane's cabin.
    — Sean Joseph OutKick, FOXNews.com, 27 Apr. 2026
Definition of fool around
Verb
  • This is really a spot to escape for the weekend with your boo, or a couple of close friends who just want to veg out and drink and enjoy the scenery.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Just take care of your[self], and veg out.
    — Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 14 Jan. 2026
Definition of veg out

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kick (about)
kick around
kick back
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Cite this Entry

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

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