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
John Wenzel, Denver Post, 8 May 2026
Connecticut police officers departed by bicycle from the Hartford Public Safety Complex on Friday, May 8, 2026, during the annual Police Unity Tour kickoff ceremony.
—Aaron Flaum, Hartford Courant, 8 May 2026
Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 9 May 2026
Monday Constellation Energy kicks off the week, with investors focused on its role supplying clean power such as nuclear energy to AI infrastructure.
—Alexa Lomonaco, CNBC, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for kickoff
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Noun
Early highlights include Brazilian Day (May 30), a Pride kickoff with Tiano Major9, Central City Opera’s drag show (June 5), Lettuce (June 20), and the Soul Rebel Reggae Fest with Black Uhuru (July 12).
—John Wenzel, Denver Post, 8 May 2026
Connecticut police officers departed by bicycle from the Hartford Public Safety Complex on Friday, May 8, 2026, during the annual Police Unity Tour kickoff ceremony.
—Aaron Flaum, Hartford Courant, 8 May 2026
Verb
The Liberty, one of the league’s original franchises, kicked off the 2026 campaign with a 106-75 win over the Connecticut Sun at Barclays Center on Friday night.
—Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 9 May 2026
Monday Constellation Energy kicks off the week, with investors focused on its role supplying clean power such as nuclear energy to AI infrastructure.
—Alexa Lomonaco, CNBC, 8 May 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 11 May. 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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