kick in
verb
kicked in; kicking in; kicks in
1
: to begin operating or having an effect : get started
waiting for the heater to kick in
2
: to make a contribution
3
slang
: die
Examples of kick in in a Sentence
if everyone in the department kicks in, we can give him an especially nice present for his retirement
the ornery cuss finally kicked in at the ripe old age of 90
Recent Examples on the Web
The fast-food wage law kicks in as state lawmakers debate how to drive down Californians’ notoriously high electricity bills and grapple with an insurance crisis that is raising costs for many homeowners.
—
Mackenzie Mays, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024
The slowdown came as inflation drained consumers' pocketbooks of purchasing power and rate hikes kicked in.
—David McHugh, Quartz, 3 Apr. 2024
Effects that not only kick in faster but also last much longer.
—Cbd Scout, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
The slowdown came as inflation drained consumers’ pocketbooks of purchasing power and rate hikes kicked in.
—David McHugh, Fortune Europe, 3 Apr. 2024
California’s $20 minimum wage kicked in for fast-food franchise workers this week, but Republican skeptics are wondering: What about slow-food workers?
—John Woolfolk, The Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2024
The bonds have also spurred investment from private developers with a study of Austin’s bond programs showing developers kicked in $6 for every $1 spent by the city.
—Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Apr. 2024
If a ship does lose power, backup generators should kick in.
—Troy Aidan Sambajon, The Christian Science Monitor, 27 Mar. 2024
The ship never regained engine power, but Diamond said a diesel backup generator did kick in, restoring the electrical systems — the possible source of a puff of black smoke visible in video of the collision circulating on social media.
—Ian Duncan, Washington Post, 27 Mar. 2024
Mackenzie Mays, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024
The slowdown came as inflation drained consumers' pocketbooks of purchasing power and rate hikes kicked in.
—David McHugh, Quartz, 3 Apr. 2024
Effects that not only kick in faster but also last much longer.
—Cbd Scout, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
The slowdown came as inflation drained consumers’ pocketbooks of purchasing power and rate hikes kicked in.
—David McHugh, Fortune Europe, 3 Apr. 2024
California’s $20 minimum wage kicked in for fast-food franchise workers this week, but Republican skeptics are wondering: What about slow-food workers?
—John Woolfolk, The Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2024
The bonds have also spurred investment from private developers with a study of Austin’s bond programs showing developers kicked in $6 for every $1 spent by the city.
—Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Apr. 2024
If a ship does lose power, backup generators should kick in.
—Troy Aidan Sambajon, The Christian Science Monitor, 27 Mar. 2024
The ship never regained engine power, but Diamond said a diesel backup generator did kick in, restoring the electrical systems — the possible source of a puff of black smoke visible in video of the collision circulating on social media.
—Ian Duncan, Washington Post, 27 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'kick in.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1906, in the meaning defined at transitive sense
Dictionary Entries Near kick in
Cite this Entry
“Kick in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kick%20in. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
kick in
verb2
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