1
as in to debate
to give serious and careful thought to
the board spent the afternoon kicking around the feasibility of opening an overseas office
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to play
to spend time in aimless activity
I really can't do much but kick around at work until I get the rest of the submissions
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to kill time
to spend time doing nothing
spent the afternoon kicking around, while his wife bought out the mall
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to roam
to move about from place to place aimlessly
after spending a year in Europe kicking around, the backpacker was ready to return home
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in to abuse
to inflict physical or emotional harm upon
children who were raised by an alcoholic father who regularly kicked them around
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of kick around
Both tracks — which had been kicking around since the Chinese Democracy sessions and were demoed even earlier — were finally released in December 2025 to coincide with GNR’s 2026 tour announcement.
—
Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 29 Mar. 2026
People were kicked around in the pit, pancaked at the front of the stage, and the crowd surfing had a 90% fail rate.
—Deborah Sengupta Stith, Austin American Statesman, 17 Mar. 2026
Heading into Tuesday, March 17, daily highs will kick around the upper 60s.
—Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Mar. 2026
Like Prince William and Kate Middleton often do on sportier engagements, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex showed off their soccer skills, kicking around a ball on Wednesday.
—Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for kick around
Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 29 Mar. 2026
People were kicked around in the pit, pancaked at the front of the stage, and the crowd surfing had a 90% fail rate.
—Deborah Sengupta Stith, Austin American Statesman, 17 Mar. 2026
Heading into Tuesday, March 17, daily highs will kick around the upper 60s.
—Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Mar. 2026
Like Prince William and Kate Middleton often do on sportier engagements, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex showed off their soccer skills, kicking around a ball on Wednesday.
—Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for kick around
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kick around
Verb
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Policy experts have begun to debate whether the act applies to negotiations beyond free broadcast TV distribution.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Curriculum debates crop up occasionally.—
Heather Hollingsworth,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The latter argument in this play is made by a local realtor, Elliot Emerson, played by Richard Thomas in a self-aware bit of casting within director Kenny Leon’s Broadway production by Manhattan Theatre Club.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Apr. 2026
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The latter argument in this play is made by a local realtor, Elliot Emerson, played by Richard Thomas in a self-aware bit of casting within Kenny Leon’s Broadway production at Manhattan Theatre Club.—
Chris Jones,
New York Daily News,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Neanderthals mostly lived in Europe, while more recent additions to the family, the Denisovans, roamed Asia.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
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Soon, Norton Tire outfitted most of the 20,000 cars that roamed the young city’s streets by the early 1930s.—
Howard Cohen,
Miami Herald,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Federal Trade Commission, 18 states and Puerto Rico have accused the company of abusing its market position to inflate prices on other online retail platforms, overcharge sellers and stifle competition.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
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The foster parents and their adult daughter pleaded guilty to abusing children in their care.—
Zoey Lyttle,
PEOPLE,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Would the Bengals entertain such a talented, if problematic prospect?—
Paul Dehner Jr,
New York Times,
15 Apr. 2026
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Fathers and children from local community groups and representatives from parenting and family organizations were invited to the fun event, where small children were entertained with crafts and, of course, the popular Australian children's entertainment group, The Wiggles.—
Megan Hustwaite,
PEOPLE,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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And this fool is taking it with the fools around him.—
KiMi Robinson,
USA Today,
30 Mar. 2026
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And there’s this: No fooling around in mid-June and having a life event get in the way of the March Madness get-together nine months later.—
Kirk Kenney,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Reynolds was dressed in a safari hat, as if prepared to wrangle any animal that happened to wander in off the Santa Monica Freeway.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
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While the other males in the Willowbank Wildlife Reserve’s Kea group spend lots of time squabbling and making threat displays, Bruce is free to wander the aviary and monopolize feeding stations and prime perches, the study reports.—
Elizabeth Anne Brown,
Scientific American,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Zbur said future expansion would be based on its success in Santa Monica, and that such expansion is already contemplated.—
Andre Mouchard,
Oc Register,
19 Apr. 2026
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As Jackson County officials contemplated what to call the state-of-the-art twin stadiums due to open in the early 1970s, one obvious name emerged.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Kick around.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kick%20around. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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