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
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
Caché McClay, USA Today, 2 May 2025
To kick off his second term, President Donald Trump sought revenge on President Joe Biden, elite law firms, elite universities, and even some of his former staffers — including John Bolton.
—Sean Rameswaram, Vox, 2 May 2025
Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 24 Apr. 2025
And right in time for the tour’s kickoff in Los Angeles on April 28 at SoFi Stadium, there’s a wave of events, exhibits and community activities celebrating the city’s Black cowboy culture.
—Jasmine Desiree, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for kick off
Verb
Tina Knowles kicked off her her book tour, and the high-energy event was filled with storytelling, dancing and moving reflections.
—Caché McClay, USA Today, 2 May 2025
To kick off his second term, President Donald Trump sought revenge on President Joe Biden, elite law firms, elite universities, and even some of his former staffers — including John Bolton.
—Sean Rameswaram, Vox, 2 May 2025
Noun
Often described as the first major award show of the season, the Golden Globes are usually scheduled for the first weekend in January as a kickoff to awards campaigning in the new year.
—Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 24 Apr. 2025
And right in time for the tour’s kickoff in Los Angeles on April 28 at SoFi Stadium, there’s a wave of events, exhibits and community activities celebrating the city’s Black cowboy culture.
—Jasmine Desiree, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for kick off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kick off
Verb
-
Yet Jesus becomes angered by the desecration of the temple and begins tipping over the merchants' tables in the holy place while wielding a righteous whip.—
Erin Jensen,
USA Today,
3 May 2025
-
Across a two-year period beginning at the end of 2010, China managed to penetrate and dismantle the U.S. intelligence agency’s network of spies in the country in what was revealed in 2018 to have been largely due to the agency botching its clandestine communication system.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
2 May 2025
Verb
-
After her victory, France paid tribute to her son Henry, who died from leukemia last year.—
Hilary Whiteman,
CNN Money,
4 May 2025
-
Steven Burns is about to get another chance to convince commissioners that the same man who left Catina to die that night, is a changed man.—
Erin Moriarty, Liza Finley,
CBS News,
4 May 2025
Noun
-
Finding new degrees of colorful suits, flowing capes, and animal print jumpsuits supported the show’s tone from the beginning, but has increasingly become part of the HBO series’s comedy in its own right.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
4 May 2025
-
For a long time, this movie wasn’t supposed to come out at the beginning of May.—
Adam B. Vary,
Variety,
3 May 2025
Verb
-
Inevitably people started to capitalize on that fun aspect of the sport, and Agassi was called upon to participate.—
Todd Boss,
Forbes.com,
4 May 2025
-
That’s on the softer side for Marvel adventures, which regularly generate at least $100 million to start.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
4 May 2025
Verb
-
Rising bond yields Yields on 10-year Treasury bonds typically fall – and their prices rise - as investors flee stocks for the safe haven of Treasuries during economic slowdowns.—
Paul Davidson,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2025
-
Homicide and nonfatal shooting totals fell again in 2023, but the city was roiled by robbery and carjacking crews responsible for an overall uptick in violence.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Graduates go wild for Trump’s commencement pledge 3.—
,
FOXNews.com,
2 May 2025
-
Limestone’s final commencement takes place Saturday.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
1 May 2025
Verb
-
In reality, the pricing-in may commence before the earnings are disclosed.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
1 May 2025
-
The 40-year-old Stearns came of age right as Pat Riley took over and the Knicks commenced their annual playoff battles with the Bulls, Pacers and eventually Riley’s Heat.—
Tim Britton,
New York Times,
1 May 2025
Noun
-
The Conference Board, a business group, reported Tuesday that Americans’ confidence in the economy fell for the fifth straight month to the lowest level since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.—
Paul Wiseman,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2025
-
An index of consumer confidence fell in April to its lowest level since the onset of the pandemic.—
Scott Horsley,
NPR,
2 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Kick off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kick%20off. Accessed 9 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share