1
: a return of a part of a sum received often because of confidential agreement or coercion
every city contract had been let with a ten percent kickback to city officials—
D. K. Shipler
D. K. Shipler2
: a sharp violent reaction
kicked back; kicking back; kicks back
: to assume a relaxed position or attitude
also
: to spend time relaxing : take it easy
spent the weekend just kicking back
Examples of kickback in a Sentence
Noun
Several company executives were accused of accepting kickbacks.
Verb
I plan to spend the day kicking back and watching television.
a good resort for people who want to kick back and watch others exercise strenuously
Recent Examples on the Weboregonlive, 10 May 2023
To keep operators safe, this cordless chainsaw comes with an electric chain brake to stop the chain from circling and a low kickback chain to keep users safe in case of kickback, which is when the chain gets stuck or pinched while cutting an object and the chainsaw is thrown back at the operator.
—Brittany Vanderbill, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 July 2023
This is separate from her indictment related to a federal kickback scheme that took down state Rep. Fred Plump.
—Hannah Denham | Hdenham@al.com, al, 1 Sep. 2023
Then in 2020, Choudry and his practices settled allegations of kickbacks with the federal government, paying $750,000.
—Annie Waldman, ProPublica, 9 Aug. 2023
Rougher roads also resulted in lots of steering kickback, the trade-off for the high-definition feedback offered by the hydraulic assistance.
—Mike Duff, Car and Driver, 7 Aug. 2023
At least 10 of the ex-players paid kickbacks totaling about $230,000 to Williams, authorities said.
—The Courier-Journal, 4 Aug. 2023
The jury convicted Hall of four counts of paying and receiving unlawful kickbacks, and one count of money laundering.
—Kevin Krause, Dallas News, 27 July 2023
In court filings, prosecutors said Berenyi concealed the expense of the kickback by including it as a cost in his firm's proposal to Nucor, without the company's knowledge or approval.
—Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 23 July 2023
Kelsey Mulvey, House Beautiful, 27 July 2023
Actor Sean Connery kicks back on the set of Diamonds Are Forever in John Lautner’s Elrod House.
—Anna Fixsen, ELLE Decor, 8 Sep. 2023
Nevertheless, while the cozy Moon in your social zone conflicts with cerebral Mercury in your 5th House of Fun, your friends might prefer to kick back and relax with as little effort as possible.
—Tarot Astrologers, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2023
Some people kicked back on folding chairs while others cooked and sold food.
—John Hilliard, BostonGlobe.com, 27 Aug. 2023
Use the barbecue grill to cook a great meal, check out Siuslaw National Forest, or kick back and enjoy views of the ocean.
—oregonlive, 27 June 2023
The weekly event is a time to kick back, relax, and lounge around a fireplace on the Sunset Patio, as live music from local bands sets the scene.
—Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 14 Aug. 2023
Taking a break from his artistic duties, Joe G., using a speaking device, kicked back to talk about delivering the Plain Dealer over 65 years ago in the Fulton Road community.
—Gregory Burnett, cleveland, 14 Aug. 2023
Elsewhere, there are plenty of alfresco spaces to kick back and relax.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 5 July 2023
See More
Noun
To conceal the kickbacks, Reid and his accomplices described the fees as being for marketing services but no marketing services were performed, according to prosecutors.
—oregonlive, 10 May 2023
To keep operators safe, this cordless chainsaw comes with an electric chain brake to stop the chain from circling and a low kickback chain to keep users safe in case of kickback, which is when the chain gets stuck or pinched while cutting an object and the chainsaw is thrown back at the operator.
—Brittany Vanderbill, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 July 2023
This is separate from her indictment related to a federal kickback scheme that took down state Rep. Fred Plump.
—Hannah Denham | Hdenham@al.com, al, 1 Sep. 2023
Then in 2020, Choudry and his practices settled allegations of kickbacks with the federal government, paying $750,000.
—Annie Waldman, ProPublica, 9 Aug. 2023
Rougher roads also resulted in lots of steering kickback, the trade-off for the high-definition feedback offered by the hydraulic assistance.
—Mike Duff, Car and Driver, 7 Aug. 2023
At least 10 of the ex-players paid kickbacks totaling about $230,000 to Williams, authorities said.
—The Courier-Journal, 4 Aug. 2023
The jury convicted Hall of four counts of paying and receiving unlawful kickbacks, and one count of money laundering.
—Kevin Krause, Dallas News, 27 July 2023
In court filings, prosecutors said Berenyi concealed the expense of the kickback by including it as a cost in his firm's proposal to Nucor, without the company's knowledge or approval.
—Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 23 July 2023
Verb
Instead of spending a small fortune on a ticket, Hill chose to kick back, relax, and use the view to her advantage.
—Kelsey Mulvey, House Beautiful, 27 July 2023
Actor Sean Connery kicks back on the set of Diamonds Are Forever in John Lautner’s Elrod House.
—Anna Fixsen, ELLE Decor, 8 Sep. 2023
Nevertheless, while the cozy Moon in your social zone conflicts with cerebral Mercury in your 5th House of Fun, your friends might prefer to kick back and relax with as little effort as possible.
—Tarot Astrologers, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2023
Some people kicked back on folding chairs while others cooked and sold food.
—John Hilliard, BostonGlobe.com, 27 Aug. 2023
Use the barbecue grill to cook a great meal, check out Siuslaw National Forest, or kick back and enjoy views of the ocean.
—oregonlive, 27 June 2023
The weekly event is a time to kick back, relax, and lounge around a fireplace on the Sunset Patio, as live music from local bands sets the scene.
—Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 14 Aug. 2023
Taking a break from his artistic duties, Joe G., using a speaking device, kicked back to talk about delivering the Plain Dealer over 65 years ago in the Fulton Road community.
—Gregory Burnett, cleveland, 14 Aug. 2023
Elsewhere, there are plenty of alfresco spaces to kick back and relax.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 5 July 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'kickback.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Phrases Containing kickback
Articles Related to kickback
Dictionary Entries Near kickback
Cite this Entry
“Kickback.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kickback. Accessed 2 Oct. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
kickback
1 of 2 noun
kick·back
ˈkik-ˌbak 
: a secret return of part of a sum of money received
kick back
2 of 2 verb
Legal Definition
kickback
noun
kick·back
ˈkik-ˌbak
: a payment (as of money or property) made to one in a position to open up or control a source of income for the payor
convicted of receiving kickbacks for referrals
compare bribe, payoff
Note: A kickback is specifically a payment for income received or to be received. The word is usually not restricted to a return of funds.
More from Merriam-Webster on kickback
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share