kickoff

1 of 2

noun

kick·​off ˈkik-ˌȯf How to pronounce kickoff (audio)
1
: a kick that puts the ball into play in a football or soccer game
the opening kickoff
2
: the start of something : commencement
the campaign kickoff

kick off

2 of 2

verb

kicked off; kicking off; kicks off

intransitive verb

1
: to start or resume play in football by a placekick
2
a
: to initiate proceedings
b
: to start out : begin
the movie kicks off with a bank robbery
3
slang : die

transitive verb

: to mark the beginning of
kick off the campaign

Examples of kickoff in a Sentence

Noun At his campaign kickoff, the senator gave a passionate speech about combating poverty. His speech marked the kickoff of his campaign. Verb I'll kick off the discussion on ethics with this question. surprisingly, the recluse was worth a cool million when he kicked off
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Instagram Adds Warning to Kate Middleton's Mother's Day Photo: 'Altered' Prince William continued with royal duty following his wife’s apology, attending the Commonwealth Day Service of Celebration at Westminster Abbey and a kickoff celebration for The Earthshot Prize Launchpad on Monday. Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 15 Mar. 2024 At the kickoff of Filmart, which runs March 11-14 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, The Hollywood Reporter highlights five industry trends that will be driving both business and discussion on the market floor this year. Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2024 When factoring in the wind chill caused by 19 mph winds, the feel-like temperature at kickoff was minus-27 degrees. Daniel Oyefusi, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2024 The kickoff event offered insight into how the Valley's mayors, county leaders and Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs will pitch voters in the state's most populous county to say yes to the tax on their November ballot. Stacey Barchenger, The Arizona Republic, 28 Feb. 2024 The classic rockers from Illinois are playing June 28, ahead of the kickoff of the band's summer co-headlining tour with Train, which starts July 8, also in Wisconsin. Journal Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2024 The team, unchanged from the starting lineup that opened the season in Houston, looked energized by the atmosphere at Children’s Mercy Park and pushed for a goal right from kickoff. Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 3 Mar. 2024 A touch of agitation as the clock ticked and kickoff neared. Rory Smith, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2024 Butler said his party could be considered the kickoff to the 2025 NFL draft, which is being hosted in Green Bay, in and near Lambeau Field. David Clarey, Journal Sentinel, 1 Mar. 2024
Verb
They’re made with waterproof outers and collapsible heels for quick sliding on and kicking off. Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 19 Mar. 2024 Swift’s acclaimed global trek is still going strong, more than a year after kicking off in Glendale, Ariz. in March 2023. Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 19 Mar. 2024 Bellator kicks off on March 22 from Belfast, with eight events set for this year in Paris, Dublin, London, Chicago and San Diego. Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Mar. 2024 The American Cinematheque is kicking off a robust new Los Angeles nonfiction film festival dubbed This Is Not a Fiction, running from April 10-18. Pat Saperstein, Variety, 19 Mar. 2024 The need was met via a food truck serving miniature donuts by the box in Bowling Green, which kicked off in 2019. Amanda Hancock, The Courier-Journal, 19 Mar. 2024 In March 2024, filming officially kicked off as Chalamet was photographed in character on set. Kelsie Gibson, Peoplemag, 18 Mar. 2024 The expansion soccer team will kick off its first-ever game in the NWSL at 4:30 p.m. PT, when Montoya’s group will line up against Angel City FC, a team that advanced to the quarterfinals last season, its second in the NWSL. Jason Mastrodonato, The Mercury News, 17 Mar. 2024 The decision kicked off a nationwide frenzy among fertility patients and healthcare providers over the potential implications of similar decisions in a post-Roe political landscape. Ken Tran, USA TODAY, 16 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'kickoff.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1856, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1857, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of kickoff was in 1856

Dictionary Entries Near kickoff

Cite this Entry

“Kickoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kickoff. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

kickoff

1 of 2 noun
kick·​off ˈkik-ˌȯf How to pronounce kickoff (audio)
: a kick that puts the ball into play (as in soccer or football)

kick off

2 of 2 verb
(ˈ)kik-ˈȯf
1
: to make a kickoff
2

More from Merriam-Webster on kickoff

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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