1
as in relaxed
to refrain from labor or exertion
I plan to spend the day kicking back and watching television
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hacked (around)
to spend time doing nothing
a good resort for people who want to kick back and watch others exercise strenuously
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of kicked back
Even if Senate Republicans conceded to breaking up the funding package, the bills would be kicked back to the House of Representatives, which is on a weeklong recess.
—
Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026
Gatlin paid an Atlanta audiovisual contractor $2 million, who then kicked back $1 million to her, according to court records.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 12 Dec. 2025
Conley drove, kicked back to Edwards, who hit Reid in the corner.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 7 Dec. 2025
Over a bite to eat, everybody kicked back and chatted it up a little.
—Jay Glennie, Rolling Stone, 28 Oct. 2025
Everything froze in time until the ball crashed against the foul pole and kicked back into the playing field, making the stadium sound like the old place across the street sounded in the dynastic nineties.
—Ian O'Connor, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
The music cut out, leaving the three of them to deliver powerful harmonies before the band kicked back in.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 5 Oct. 2025
Surplus power kicked back into the Pacific Gas & Electric electric grid would be credited to the school district.
—Mindy Lubber, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Fernandes Anderson doled out a $13,000 bonus to one of her Council staffers, a relative but not an immediate family member, on the condition that $7,000 be kicked back to her.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 31 Aug. 2025
Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026
Gatlin paid an Atlanta audiovisual contractor $2 million, who then kicked back $1 million to her, according to court records.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 12 Dec. 2025
Conley drove, kicked back to Edwards, who hit Reid in the corner.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 7 Dec. 2025
Over a bite to eat, everybody kicked back and chatted it up a little.
—Jay Glennie, Rolling Stone, 28 Oct. 2025
Everything froze in time until the ball crashed against the foul pole and kicked back into the playing field, making the stadium sound like the old place across the street sounded in the dynastic nineties.
—Ian O'Connor, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
The music cut out, leaving the three of them to deliver powerful harmonies before the band kicked back in.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 5 Oct. 2025
Surplus power kicked back into the Pacific Gas & Electric electric grid would be credited to the school district.
—Mindy Lubber, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Fernandes Anderson doled out a $13,000 bonus to one of her Council staffers, a relative but not an immediate family member, on the condition that $7,000 be kicked back to her.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 31 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kicked back
Verb
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And the moment Honnold reached the top, my grip released and my muscles relaxed.—
Frederick Dreier,
Outside,
27 Jan. 2026
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Dante Green, a senior vice president at Kaiser, said Wednesday the policy had been relaxed.—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Glenn coach Katina Flournoy-Walker rested the Lee sisters — Libby and Jennah — in the win over Lockhart.—
Butch Hart,
Austin American Statesman,
26 Jan. 2026
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Given how easily Liverpool wins in France, perhaps Hugo Ekitike could have been rested there instead of at Bournemouth, for example.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Vice President Bush basked in Reagan’s high job approval rating, which averaged 53 percent in 1988.—
Myra Adams,
Washington Post,
9 Jan. 2026
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Shoppers basked in the intoxicating aromas of the high-end perfumes and colognes the department store was known for.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
16 Nov. 2025
Verb
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One of the things that have been kicked around is a one-time 5% tax on billionaires.—
Nicole Nixon,
Sacbee.com,
6 Jan. 2026
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As the college football season winds down, Penn State is still operating with an interim head coach after the dismissal of James Franklin, and Roethlisberger kicked around the idea of Tomlin heading to Happy Valley to take over that program.—
Patrick Damp,
CBS News,
3 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Although Meta tech chief Andrew Bosworth told media outlets last week that Meta is not halting its VR efforts, the company’s outsized impact on that industry has chilled some developers and sparked fears of a VR winter, CNBC reported.—
Jonathan Vanian,
CNBC,
28 Jan. 2026
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Recent enforcement has chilled site hiring, driving wage inflation where skilled trades command premium wages.—
Brad Hunter,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Goldin originally conceived of it as a slideshow timed to songs by The Velvet Underground and Dionne Warwick, played in nightclubs around New York, and eventually, in the Whitney Biennial in 1985.—
Jacqui Palumbo,
CNN Money,
25 Jan. 2026
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The 33-year old native of the Dominican Republic has played his entire 13-year, big league career in Cleveland.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Rittenhouse admits to initially being bummed out to not be the murderer, only to quickly come around to preferring this outcome.—
Derek Lawrence,
HollywoodReporter,
12 Jan. 2026
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I'mPhaedra Trethan, bummed out about the passing of Raul Malo, lead singer of The Mavericks.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
9 Dec. 2025
Verb
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In the selfie, Gomez lounged on her sofa with her head in one hand.—
Meg Walters,
InStyle,
17 Jan. 2026
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Patrons lounged in a smoky daze; men wearing fedoras played mah-jongg.—
Dennis Zhou,
New Yorker,
12 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Kicked back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kicked%20back. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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