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
Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 22 Nov. 2025
Caribbean-destination cruises also provide an additional $100-off discount, when booked during Black Friday kickoff weekend.
—Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 22 Nov. 2025
Caroline Linton, CBS News, 17 Nov. 2025
The city of Jeffersonville kicks off the holiday season with the North Pole Party on Court Avenue (Market Street to Seventh Avenue) which includes rides, games visits with Santa, live entertainment, treats, and more.
—Gege Reed, Louisville Courier Journal, 17 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for kickoff
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
But the official kickoff of the Christmas shopping season has evolved and expanded, away from those overnight and early morning store openings, to span several weeks of sales and deals, some starting as early as before Halloween and gearing up Thanksgiving week.
—Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 22 Nov. 2025
Caribbean-destination cruises also provide an additional $100-off discount, when booked during Black Friday kickoff weekend.
—Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 22 Nov. 2025
Verb
But this rare mid-decade redistricting push was kicked off as Republicans seek to maintain — or even expand — their razor-thin majority in Congress in the 2026 midterm elections.
—Caroline Linton, CBS News, 17 Nov. 2025
The city of Jeffersonville kicks off the holiday season with the North Pole Party on Court Avenue (Market Street to Seventh Avenue) which includes rides, games visits with Santa, live entertainment, treats, and more.
—Gege Reed, Louisville Courier Journal, 17 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for kickoff
Cite this Entry
“Kickoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kickoff. Accessed 25 Nov. 2025.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share