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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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
London is still underway, and AFI FEST kicks off in Los Angeles on October 21. — Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 16 Oct. 2026 Like every other competitor, the US Airspeeder team will use a standard Mk3C aircraft, albeit with DeLorean's branding and custom livery for the series that kicks off next month. — New Atlas, 16 Oct. 2026
Noun
The Rams also gave up a 70-yard return on the opening kickoff. — Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026 Chris Tabor's unit has had a rough start to the season and began Sunday's game by giving up an 81-yard kickoff return. — CBS News, 13 Oct. 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
  • Years ago, Maximilian Schnell left his job and his life in Paris and began a nomadic lifestyle on his bicycle.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Tesla began taking $50,000 reservations—or $250,000 for one of 1,000 limited Founders Series cars—and targeted a 2020 launch.
    — Bilin Lin, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of begin
Verb
  • Twenty-one of those who died were from Guatemala, Simmons said.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Francis Wanje, 62, told CBS News that eight of his family members, including his daughter and two grandchildren, died as part of the cult.
    — Latoya Gayle, PEOPLE, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of die
Noun
  • Expect some traffic back-ups at the beginning and end of the game as parking lots empty and drivers hit the road in what is a construction zone on highways running through downtown.
    — Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Advertisement At the beginning of May, separatists turned in a petition with hundreds of thousands of signatures to push for a vote on leaving Canada, while opponents collected signatures in support of staying.
    — Chantelle Lee, Time, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of beginning
Verb
  • Some of the best philanthropy starts from a place of personal connection.
    — Melissa Stevens, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
  • But a new federal political action committee gives him a way to start building beyond Pennsylvania.
    — Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of start
Verb
  • But the opening period didn’t end without a scary moment, as Antetokounmpo fell hard on his back side after being fouled on a dunk attempt late in the first quarter.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Shares of Oracle fell about 9% amid a broader downturn for stocks of top AI stakeholders.
    — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of fall
Noun
  • The city’s post came shortly after Butker delivered a commencement speech on May 14, 2024, at Benedictine College.
    — Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The day before commencement, Metze spent the afternoon watching Texas Tech softball on TV.
    — Benjamin Wofford, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of commencement
Verb
  • Holmes was convicted of fraud in 2018 and sentenced to just over 11 years in federal prison, commencing in May 2023.
    — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The evening commenced with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres as literary and fashion insiders arrived at the private members club.
    — Brianna J. Heath, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of commence
Verb
  • The photo showed Gilbert playing with Punk’s dog Larry, who also passed away earlier this year.
    — Ryan Gaydos OutKick, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Mohan Paswan passed away of a heart attack in May 2021, just months after his daughter brought him home.
    — Kamala Thiagarajan, NPR, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of pass away

Browse Nearby Words

kicking upstairs
kick off
kickoff
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Kick off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kick%20off. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of jilt

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All