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
Peralta leaders had kicked around the idea for years but avoided discussing it in concrete terms, with bureaucratic tangles often getting in the way.
—
Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 23 Aug. 2025
The idea for the interborough rail has been kicking around in one form or another for the better part of 30 years.
—Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 1 Aug. 2025
Their collaboration goes back to their days at NYU, when the roommates would kick around ideas for Sandler’s stand-up act.
—William Earl, Variety, 25 July 2025
The idea of seriously designing an expedition to put astronauts on Mars has been kicking around for well over 70 years and is taken very seriously in certain quarters today.
—David Szondy
july 21, New Atlas, 21 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for kick around
Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 23 Aug. 2025
The idea for the interborough rail has been kicking around in one form or another for the better part of 30 years.
—Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 1 Aug. 2025
Their collaboration goes back to their days at NYU, when the roommates would kick around ideas for Sandler’s stand-up act.
—William Earl, Variety, 25 July 2025
The idea of seriously designing an expedition to put astronauts on Mars has been kicking around for well over 70 years and is taken very seriously in certain quarters today.
—David Szondy
july 21, New Atlas, 21 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for kick around
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kick around
Verb
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On Sept 5, 2024, a year before his death, Charlie Kirk was debating at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.—
Meagan Jordan,
Rolling Stone,
3 Oct. 2025
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The effect is to infuse the story with an undeniable and knowing nostalgia; how quaint, at Alma’s party, to find everyone debating matters of representational consequence.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In the Carmel area, the trail passes a cool play space and Midtown Plaza, where the family can play a little ping-pong or corn hole, grab a bite to eat, or just relax on the bench swings.—
Beth Luberecki,
USA Today,
4 Oct. 2025
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The Stars played their first eight seasons in Reunion Arena, located in downtown Dallas.—
Rob Rossi,
New York Times,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
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One of the game's best sections – and one that probably plays really well in its VR counterpart – involves facehuggers and roaming around a hive unarmed while the Xenomorphs aren't a threat.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
3 Oct. 2025
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In addition to yards of open grassy areas for Pickles and Franklin to roam freely, there is a pool, sauna, pickleball court, outdoor kitchen, and lots of shaded or umbrella-covered seating.—
Lennie Omalza,
Louisville Courier Journal,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The biggest controversy surrounding Flock Safety centers around allegations that law enforcement agencies have abused the company's technology to target women, immigrants and people engaged in activity.—
Wren Smetana,
AZCentral.com,
5 Oct. 2025
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Ed Gein later told investigators he and his brother were abused by his father, who died in 1940 of heart failure.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The historic Belcourt Theatre will entertain all the Music City cinephiles.—
Craig Shoup,
Nashville Tennessean,
1 Oct. 2025
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All of these films have been heavily influenced by 20th century pulp fiction writers, but for his latest movie, Black goes directly to the source, adapting one of the genre’s key figures for an action-comedy as offbeat, idiosyncratic, and entertaining as any Black has made.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Gisin hopes that by fooling around with measurements of these more exotic states, physicists will come to better understand the role of measurement in general.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
8 Aug. 2025
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Those have come from two players: Adrian Morejon of the San Diego Padres, who throws an odd knuckleball-changeup hybrid about 1 percent of the time, and Jonah Bride of the Minnesota Twins, an infielder fooling around with the knuckler in blowouts.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
19 June 2025
Verb
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There’s the feeling that this is all just another day at the office, albeit one with enormous gladiators wandering around in the background.—
Richard Lawson,
Rolling Stone,
1 Oct. 2025
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Sandberg was there wandering around the clubhouse sopping wet from a mixture of champagne, beer and rain water along with other Cub greats, protected by a yellow rain slicker.—
Barry M. Bloom,
Sportico.com,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Hoover bounces back with a clean game, while Coach Prime contemplates making a quarterback change.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 Oct. 2025
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In 2024, almost one in four Americans experienced mental illness, almost 18% had substance abuse problems and over 5% had contemplated suicide, according to the news release.—
Ray Stern,
AZCentral.com,
2 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Kick around.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kick%20around. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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