kickup

1 of 2

noun

kick·​up ˈkik-ˌəp 

: a noisy quarrel : row

kick up

2 of 2

verb

kicked up; kicking up; kicks 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

Synonyms of kickup

Noun

• altercation
• dispute
• quarrel
• controversy
• fight
• disagreement
• argument
• row
• misunderstanding
• battle royal
• brawl
• bicker

Examples of kickup in a Sentence

Noun

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

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Also, other states appeared to start taking the rumors seriously, too, which probably helped kick up the dust even more. — Erik Hayden, HollywoodReporter, 21 Sep. 2026

Punk For seven brilliant years in the nineties, the Washington punk-rock band Bikini Kill kicked up a ruckus as pioneers of the riot-grrrl movement. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2026

Workers at a construction site nearby continued to operate machinery and kick up dust as police called out to the suspect. — Charlotte Observer, 9 Sep. 2026

Along the Southern California coast, dangerous surf conditions kicked up by the remnants of Hurricane Marie were expected to stick around for several days. — ABC News, 8 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1793, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1756, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for kickup

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup