kickoff

1 of 2

noun

kick·​off ˈkik-ˌȯf 

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

kick off

2 of 2

verb

kicked off; kicking off; kicks off

intransitive verb

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

transitive verb

: to mark the beginning of

kick off the campaign

Synonyms of kickoff

Noun

• beginning
• start
• commencement
• onset
• inception
• launch

Verb

• begin
• start
• commence
• fall (to)
• set about
• get off
• strike (into)
• get going
• open
• found

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

Noun

Joe Prince-Wright, Nick Mendola and Andy Edwards preview the quarterfinal matchups and make their predictions ahead of kickoff. — Joe Murphy, NBC news, 9 July 2026

An Israeli strike on Gaza just before the kickoff of the Egypt-Argentina World Cup match killed a top Palestinian aid official who helped organize public screenings of the game across the enclave, according to local health officials. — Wafaa Shurafa, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026

Verb

In 2023, California regulators levied more than $100,000 in fines against the private operator of a federal immigration facility, kicking off a three-year battle over whether detainees who do work at the facilities should be considered employees. — Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026

The Together, Together tour kicked off May 16 in Amsterdam for 10 concerts at the Johan Cruyff Arena before moving on to Wembley Stadium on June 12. — Kathleen Perricone, Entertainment Weekly, 8 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1856, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1857, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Rhymes for kickoff

• ashraf
• checkoff
• cutoff
• falloff
• handoff
• layoff
• liftoff
• markoff
• markov
• payoff
• playoff
• runoff

Kids 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

: begin sense 1