kickup

1 of 2

noun

kick·​up ˈkik-ˌəp 

: a noisy quarrel : row

kick up

2 of 2

verb

kicked up; kicking up; kicks up

transitive verb

1

: to cause to rise upward

clouds of dust kicked up by passing cars

2

: to stir up : provoke

kick up a fuss

intransitive verb

: to give evidence of disorder

Synonyms of kickup

Noun

• altercation
• dispute
• quarrel
• controversy
• fight
• disagreement
• argument
• row
• misunderstanding
• battle royal
• brawl
• bicker

Examples of kickup in a Sentence

Noun

after their last kickup, they didn't speak to each other for a week

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Flights over the Nazca Lines departing from the nearby Maria Reiche Airport had been suspended on Friday due to winds exceeding 25 mph, which kicked up dust ⁠and ​reduced visibility. — Joe Kottke, NBC news, 2 Aug. 2026

The crash is expected to create a new crater on the moon's pockmarked surface and kick up enough dust that powerful instruments may be able to spot it more than a quarter-million miles away on Earth. — Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 30 July 2026

On a recent July morning, a four-car caravan carrying a dozen women rolled into the remote Hunter-Fryingpan Wilderness in Pitkin County, kicking up the dust on a bumpy unpaved road. — Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 30 July 2026

The actor kicked up his leg in the moment, before proceeding to greet the other cohosts at the table. — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 22 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1793, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1756, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for kickup

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup