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
kicked off; kicking off; kicks off
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
: 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
Hallie Golden,
Chicago Tribune,
27 June 2026
About 20 minutes away from kickoff, the stadium seems about split now between German and Ecuador fans.
—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
26 June 2026
Matthew Villafane,
CBS News,
27 June 2026
In Buffalo, New York, the 2026 NHL draft action kicked off with the Toronto Maple Leafs selecting Penn State winger Gavin McKenna – a pick most people expected would open the night.
—
Ava Dicecca,
Sun Sentinel,
27 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for kickoff
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.
Noun
Anthony Vega, 50, stood outside the stadium more than three hours before kickoff, waving a large rainbow flag.
—
Hallie Golden,
Chicago Tribune,
27 June 2026
About 20 minutes away from kickoff, the stadium seems about split now between German and Ecuador fans.
—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
26 June 2026
Verb
Rainy weather will kick off the weekend in the New York City area before sunshine returns.
—
Matthew Villafane,
CBS News,
27 June 2026
In Buffalo, New York, the 2026 NHL draft action kicked off with the Toronto Maple Leafs selecting Penn State winger Gavin McKenna – a pick most people expected would open the night.
—
Ava Dicecca,
Sun Sentinel,
27 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for kickoff
Cite this Entry
“Kickoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kickoff. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
kickoff
1 of 2 noun
kick·off
ˈkik-ˌȯf 
: 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
