1
as in to begin
to take the first step in (a process or course of action)
I'll kick off the discussion on ethics with this question
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to die
slang
to stop living
surprisingly, the recluse was worth a cool million when he kicked off
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in beginning
the point at which something begins
a political cycle in which an election marks not only the end of one campaign but also the kickoff for the next one
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of kick off
Mckinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 19 Oct. 2025
After The Eras Tour kicked off, several teams — including the Cincinnati Bengals, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the New England Patriots — polled their players about their favorite tracks by Swift.
—Lex Goldstein, PEOPLE, 19 Oct. 2025
Darren Sabedra, Mercury News, 22 Oct. 2025
Fittingly, San Leandro ran back a kickoff for a touchdown on the first play of the game.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for kick off
Verb
Live hosting debut kicked off with a fun callback to none other than the viral Domingo skit — with a modern pop twist.
—Mckinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 19 Oct. 2025
After The Eras Tour kicked off, several teams — including the Cincinnati Bengals, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the New England Patriots — polled their players about their favorite tracks by Swift.
—Lex Goldstein, PEOPLE, 19 Oct. 2025
Noun
The senior caught an 82-yard touchdown pass and returned a kickoff 88 yards for a TD as Menlo School improved to 7-0 with a 49-6 victory over Palo Alto in PAL Bay Division play.
—Darren Sabedra, Mercury News, 22 Oct. 2025
Fittingly, San Leandro ran back a kickoff for a touchdown on the first play of the game.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for kick off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kick off
Verb
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The incident on Saturday morning began when Oakland police were called about person who had broken into a home on the 11000 block of Ettrick Street, in a hills neighborhood near the Oakland Zoo.—
Jakob Rodgers,
Mercury News,
20 Oct. 2025
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The issue began shortly after midnight PDT in AWS' main US-East-1 region hosted in northern Virginia.—
Tasmin Lockwood,Katrina Bishop,
CNBC,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The baby, who initially made good progress after the surgery, died 20 days later.—
Arizona Republic,
AZCentral.com,
26 Oct. 2025
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The medical examiner on Friday determined that the student died by suicide.—
Joshua Rhett Miller,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Teasing the new season at the beginning of the first episode, which dropped on Thursday, the entrepreneur and reality star is seen going into an MRI scanner with her head appearing to be bandaged.—
Lisa Respers France,
CNN Money,
23 Oct. 2025
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The embezzlement accusations would turn out to be just the beginning of Ozer’s troubles.—
Steve Belanger,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But Hough and Inaba found themselves at loggerheads when the former's critique started to go south.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 Oct. 2025
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Amazon dropped hundreds of early bird Christmas tree deals, with festive artificial firs and spruces starting at just $33.—
Maggie Horton,
PEOPLE,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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On a shotgun snap, a handoff slipped out of Bo Nix’s hands, the quarterback falling on it for a loss of four.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
20 Oct. 2025
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Our 10 favorite Amazon fall fashion staples start at just $10 right now.—
Mia Huelsbeck,
PEOPLE,
19 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Kansas City Chiefs player Harrison Butker spoke at a college commencement in 2024 and told the women that they have been told lies about their futures and probably were more excited about being wives and mothers than taking on careers.—
Madeline Holcombe,
CNN Money,
11 Oct. 2025
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Help not wanted A graduating student of the City College of New York wears a message on his cap during the College's commencement ceremony in the Harlem section of Manhattan.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The split commenced a contentious court battle in which the former model requested $175,057 in child support payments, a $45,000 increase from a tentative payment order, during a two-day Santa Barbara court hearing in August, according to People.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
20 Oct. 2025
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The 17-year-long lease will commence at the start of 2026, with two five-year renewal options when the term expires in June 2043, the documents state.—
Matthew Geiger,
Denver Post,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The onset of the Great Depression, which hit Germany’s fragile economy harder than most, heralded a rapid rise in street brawls among these groups.—
Time,
Time,
23 Oct. 2025
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The advisories aim to offer time-sensitive precautions, minimize agricultural losses and protect infrastructure before the onset of winter weather patterns.—
Deputy News Editor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Kick off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kick%20off. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.
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