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
Mike Waters, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Oct. 2025
In last week’s victory over Baltimore, Remigio brought back a kickoff for 47 yards, the best return in his nine NFL games.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 3 Oct. 2025
Matt Grobar, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2025
This year, the beloved coffee brand is kicking off all their seasonal favorites November 6—and fans should head straight to the bakery case for their newest offerings.
—Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for kickoff
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Noun
Harris returned the second-half kickoff 76 yards to the Keller 21-yard line, which set up a Davis Penn 1-yard TD four plays later.
—Mike Waters, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Oct. 2025
In last week’s victory over Baltimore, Remigio brought back a kickoff for 47 yards, the best return in his nine NFL games.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
Coming off the September release of his eighth studio album, Play, English singer-songwriter Sheeran is gearing up to head out on his sixth concert tour, The Loop Tour, which kicks off in Paris, France on December 1st and will run for nearly a year.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2025
This year, the beloved coffee brand is kicking off all their seasonal favorites November 6—and fans should head straight to the bakery case for their newest offerings.
—Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 6 Oct. 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 8 Oct. 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
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