kick in

verb

kicked in; kicking in; kicks in

intransitive verb

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
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.
Center Alperen Şengün’s five-year, $185 million extension kicks in this season. David Aldridge, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025 Ohio might see its last warm Saturday this weekend before the fall weather kicks in. Mariyam Muhammad, Cincinnati Enquirer, 17 Oct. 2025 As the rut kicked in, however, scrapes started to glow. Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 16 Oct. 2025 The bull case for stocks has not been canceled, of course, given still-rising earnings, a Fed poised to trim rates, tax-relief goodies kicking in next year, AI-capex momentum and still-decent GDP-tracking indicators. Michael Santoli, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for kick in

Word History

First Known Use

1906, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of kick in was in 1906

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Kick in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kick%20in. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

kick in

verb
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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