kick in

verb

kicked in; kicking in; kicks in

Definition of kick in

transitive verb

: contribute

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

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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 Because the actual foot peel part of the scenario takes a few days to kick in. — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, "This Foot Peel Mask with Over 8,000 Amazon Reviews Is Giving Shoppers the Grossest (But Most Satisfying) Results," 19 Feb. 2021 Consumer spending has continued to lag during most of the pandemic, although the latest federal relief efforts are just starting to kick in. — Dallas News, "Rocky recovery? Employers announced a record 2.3 million job cuts last year and Texas layoffs spiked again last month," 29 Jan. 2021 The books are so beloved, and all of that fear started to kick in. — Anna Moeslein, Glamour, "Phoebe Dynevor Is Figuring Out Life After Bridgerton," 26 Jan. 2021 Advice notwithstanding, the story also states the percent effectiveness that recipients can expect to kick in after receiving vaccines currently available in various countries. — Robin Lloyd, Scientific American, "Coronavirus News Roundup, January 16-January 22," 22 Jan. 2021 The wake-up call to the CEO comes with a swift kick in the rear from an aggressive campaign, or an encounter with an employee in the cafeteria or parking lot, or a provocative question at the all-hands or from his kid at the kitchen table. — Judith Samuelson, Quartz at Work, "Facts and data are not what convinces CEOs to make systemic change," 12 Jan. 2021 The immune response is expected to kick in within 7 days of the second shot, according to the release. — Meredith Colias-pete, chicagotribune.com, "Community Hospital to set up COVID-19 vaccine clinic for Indiana health care workers," 4 Dec. 2020 The European Union, meanwhile, is facing an internal revolt from Hungary and Poland that could delay the final approval of its €800 billion ($950 billion) coronavirus recovery fund, which took months to negotiate and is due to kick in on Jan. 1. — Julia Horowitz, CNN, "Will shoppers sit out the holidays? That's the fear," 18 Nov. 2020 Side effects usually kick in about 12 hours after the shot, according to O'Connor, but fade within 24 to 36 hours. — Amanda Morris, The Arizona Republic, "COVID-19 vaccine ingredients can trigger allergic reactions, but officials say it's rare," 23 Jan. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'kick in.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

3 Mar 2021

Cite this Entry

“Kick in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kick%20in. Accessed 8 Mar. 2021.

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