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
Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 5 Jan. 2026
Temperature at kickoff was a 69 degrees, which is the warmest on record in Denver, besting the old mark of 67 degrees in 1956.
—CBS News, 5 Jan. 2026
Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 6 Jan. 2026
Tisdale, who now goes by Ashley Tisdale French, kicked off 2026 with a candid essay in The Cut about her rocky experiences with a group of fellow moms.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for kickoff
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Noun
And the Raiders apparently didn’t want to give Smith a chance to return one, with their kickoffs going to into the end zone.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 5 Jan. 2026
Temperature at kickoff was a 69 degrees, which is the warmest on record in Denver, besting the old mark of 67 degrees in 1956.
—CBS News, 5 Jan. 2026
Verb
The $5 bowls are back on menus for a limited time, and reviews are already in—they’re a tasty and affordable way to kick off the new year.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 6 Jan. 2026
Tisdale, who now goes by Ashley Tisdale French, kicked off 2026 with a candid essay in The Cut about her rocky experiences with a group of fellow moms.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Jan. 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 9 Jan. 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
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