kick in

verb

kicked in; kicking in; kicks in

intransitive verb

1
: to begin operating or having an effect : get started
waiting for the heater to kick in
2
: to make a contribution
3
slang : die

Examples of kick in in a Sentence

if everyone in the department kicks in, we can give him an especially nice present for his retirement the ornery cuss finally kicked in at the ripe old age of 90
Recent Examples on the Web The self-destruct system kicked in, and Starship blew itself up, according to SpaceX’s commentators, who were narrating the livestream. Marina Koren, The Atlantic, 18 Nov. 2023 There also are plug-in hybrid electric vehicles that can travel a shorter distance on electricity before a hybrid powertrain kicks in. Tom Krisher, Fortune, 7 Nov. 2023 Across-the-board cuts to federal programs will kick in at the end of April if Congress does not pass longer-term spending bills by the end of the year. Marianna Sotomayor, Washington Post, 5 Nov. 2023 During the Battle of the Overpass, in which U.A.W. organizers were savagely beaten by Henry Ford’s private security guards outside an assembly plant in Dearborn, Reuther was kicked in the face and thrown down two flights of stairs. Dan Kaufman, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2023 Also in both contracts: The extra residual kicks in when the equivalent of 20 percent or more of a streaming service’s domestic subscribers watch a TV season or movie in the first 90 days of an exhibition year. Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Nov. 2023 Among the problems, SSRIs and SNRIs may take weeks to kick in. Sonya Collins, Fortune Well, 4 Nov. 2023 Enforcement is now expected to kick in early next year — but will start this month for drivers who block bus stops. Luz Lazo, Washington Post, 2 Nov. 2023 He was kicked in the head while being restrained, pepper sprayed, punched and struck multiple times with a baton. Cara Tabachnick, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'kick in.' 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

1906, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of kick in was in 1906

Dictionary Entries Near kick in

Cite this Entry

“Kick in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kick%20in. Accessed 9 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

kick in

verb
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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