kick-start

verb

ˈkik-ˌstärt 

kick-started; kick-starting; kick-starts

transitive verb

1

: to start (something, such as a motorcycle) by means of a kick-starter

2

: jump-start sense 2

kick start noun

Examples of kick-start in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

DeMar DeRozan and Kevin Love kick-started the conversation eight years ago when DeRozan tweeted about depression and Love then published a first-person essay about anxiety. — ABC News, 10 Oct. 2026

Fittingly, Akriila kick-started her career with a trap mixtape. — Ernesto Lechner, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026

But the Hawks tried to kick-start some of their chemistry-building this summer. — Lauren Williams, AJC.com, 29 Sep. 2026

Republican gubernatorial candidate Ryan Fazio promised Tuesday to deliver major tax cuts if he is elected in November, saying the cuts are necessary to kick-start the economy and return money to hard-working families. — Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 24 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1928, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for kick-start

• apart
• depart
• flowchart
• forepart
• impart
• pushcart
• rampart
• redstart
• restart
• subpart
• sweetheart
• upstart