kickup

noun kick·up \ ˈkik-ˌəp \

|Updated on: 16 Jun 2018

Examples: kickup in a Sentence

Definition of kickup

: a noisy quarrel : row

Examples of kickup in a Sentence

after their last kickup, they didn't speak to each other for a week

First Known Use of kickup

circa 1793

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

kick up

verb

Definition of kick up

transitive verb

1 : to cause to rise upward

clouds of dust kicked up by passing cars

2 : to stir up : provoke

kick up a fuss

intransitive verb

: to give evidence of disorder

Recent Examples of kick up from the Web

In those that do emerge, winds kicked up by supernovae tend to overwhelm the halo's relatively weak gravitational pull and blow out the gas, starving the halo of the raw material to make more stars and snuffing out the nascent galaxy.

— adrian cho, Science | AAAS, "Galaxy simulations are at last matching reality—and producing surprising insights into cosmic evolution," 30 May 2018
His band, which was anchored by rock-solid drummer Rico Nichols, provided a taut yet flexible foundation for Lamar’s vocals, which kicked up a notch when he was joined by fellow TDE rapper Jay Rock.

— george varga, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Kendrick Lamar scores knock-out at post-Pulitzer Prize 'Championship Tour' concert in San Diego," 14 May 2018
When the police target Pascal as a suspect, the intrigue kicks up a notch, introducing a familiar but effective conundrum in which Moll is both repulsed and aroused by the possibility of her lover's guilt.

— justin chang, latimes.com, "Jessie Buckley flirts with danger in the tense, uneven British thriller 'Beast'," 10 May 2018
If Google and Sidewalk want to dump $50 million on the northern shore of Lake Ontario, why kick up a fuss?

— molly sauter, The Atlantic, "Google’s Guinea-Pig City," 13 Feb. 2018
Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams star as Max and Annie, whose weekly couples game night gets kicked up a notch when Max’s charismatic brother, Brooks (Kyle Chandler), arranges a murder mystery party, complete with fake thugs and faux federal agents.

— Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Advance Screening of GAME NIGHT," 7 Feb. 2018
This week things kick up a notch as Sara discovers an important clue in their investigation of the murders of young male prostitutes, and Moore goes off on his own dangerous mission.

— kelly lawler, USA TODAY, "TV tonight: 'The Alienist' gets trippy in Episode 2," 29 Jan. 2018
While earnings growth will slow, yields have suddenly kicked up, with the 10-year Treasury note yielding 3.09% versus 2.41% at the start of the year.

— justin lahart, WSJ, "The Market’s New Boss," 17 May 2018
Eventually Houk turned on a dirt road to the orchard, where the motor home and police vehicles kicked up blinding dust, said Officer Robert Rodriguez, a spokesman with the California Highway Patrol.

— jim ryan, OregonLive.com, "27-year-old man drowns near Amity, authorities say," 3 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'kick up.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.