kick around

verb

kicked around; kicking around; kicks around

intransitive verb

1

: to wander or pass time aimlessly

2

a

: to lie about mostly unnoticed or forgotten

b

: to undergo consideration usually intermittently over a period of time

ideas that have been kicking around for years

transitive verb

1

: to treat in an inconsiderate or high-handed fashion

2

: to consider, examine, or discuss from various angles

Synonyms of kick around

• debate
• entertain
• contemplate
• consider
• ponder
• study
• question
• eye
• chew on
• think (about or over)
• explore
• look at
• weigh
• wrestle (with)
• mull (over)

Examples of kick around in a Sentence

the board spent the afternoon kicking around the feasibility of opening an overseas office

I really can't do much but kick around at work until I get the rest of the submissions.

Recent Examples on the Web

In order to reach the mark that sports media watchers have been kicking around since the CBS Thanksgiving Day matchup was announced in May, the audience for the marquee holiday slot would have to be improve on the NFL’s all-time record by a whopping 19%. —Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 26 Nov. 2025

In one form or another, the idea has been kicking around for decades, but Stardust has taken it a major—some might say terrifying—step forward. —Elizabeth Kolbert, New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2025

Last week, the Sixers started kicking around the idea of having George back in the mix soon. —Justin Grasso, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Nov. 2025

So of course, there’s things kicking around in my head with this show. —Alison Herman, Variety, 5 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1839, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Rhymes for kick around

• aboveground
• battleground
• belowground
• paperbound
• turnaround
• ultrasound
• underground
• wraparound
• abound
• aground
• astound
• background