kick-start

verb

ˈkik-ˌstärt 

kick-started; kick-starting; kick-starts

transitive verb

1

: to start (something, such as a motorcycle) by means of a kick-starter

2

: jump-start sense 2

kick start noun

Examples of kick-start in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Lightbulb was also accompanied by a kilonova, a bright surge of radiation involving oodles of neutrons—the very kind that could kick-start the r-process and forge all those heavy elements. — Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026

That was the opening gambit from Textile Exchange conference host Samata Pattinson last week, kick-starting three days of programming that said a lot about the state of sustainable fashion, and the frustrations simmering below its surface. — Bella Webb, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2026

Roth conversions transfer pretax or nondeductible IRA funds into a Roth IRA, which kick-starts tax-free growth. — Kate Dore, Cfp®, Ea, CNBC, 18 Oct. 2026

DeMar DeRozan and Kevin Love kick-started the conversation eight years ago when DeRozan tweeted about depression and Love then published a first-person essay about anxiety. — ABC News, 10 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1928, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for kick-start

• apart
• depart
• flowchart
• forepart
• impart
• pushcart
• rampart
• redstart
• restart
• subpart
• sweetheart
• upstart