1
as in began
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in died
slang
to stop living
surprisingly, the recluse was worth a cool million when he kicked off
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of kicked off
Last season’s championship games kicked off every morning before the tackle football championships at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
—
Jack Leo, AJC.com, 5 Feb. 2026
The surge of inspiration kicked off a burst of writing that came at the perfect time for the Boston band.
—Jed Gottlieb, Boston Herald, 5 Feb. 2026
Paris Couture Week, which the American designer’s Monday morning show kicked off, is for fantasy.
—CNN Money, 30 Jan. 2026
Tuesday’s discussion kicked off a yearlong planning push that would take years — or even decades — to fully realize.
—Mark Dee
january 29, Idaho Statesman, 29 Jan. 2026
The Frost scoring kicked off with defender Kendall Cooper’s first career PWHL goal, just under five minutes into the game.
—Theodore Tollefson, Twin Cities, 29 Jan. 2026
Academy President Lynette Howell Taylor kicked off the ceremony with a brief speech thanking the audience, both in person and those watching the livestream, while providing a preamble that gestured at the ongoing conversations about the role of AI in film.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 22 Jan. 2026
The journey kicked off with a party-like atmosphere.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside, 22 Jan. 2026
On the same day the 2026 Sundance Film Festival kicked off, the Academy this morning announced an impressive four nominations for one of last year’s most memorable success stories.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 22 Jan. 2026
Jack Leo, AJC.com, 5 Feb. 2026
The surge of inspiration kicked off a burst of writing that came at the perfect time for the Boston band.
—Jed Gottlieb, Boston Herald, 5 Feb. 2026
Paris Couture Week, which the American designer’s Monday morning show kicked off, is for fantasy.
—CNN Money, 30 Jan. 2026
Tuesday’s discussion kicked off a yearlong planning push that would take years — or even decades — to fully realize.
—Mark Dee
january 29, Idaho Statesman, 29 Jan. 2026
The Frost scoring kicked off with defender Kendall Cooper’s first career PWHL goal, just under five minutes into the game.
—Theodore Tollefson, Twin Cities, 29 Jan. 2026
Academy President Lynette Howell Taylor kicked off the ceremony with a brief speech thanking the audience, both in person and those watching the livestream, while providing a preamble that gestured at the ongoing conversations about the role of AI in film.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 22 Jan. 2026
The journey kicked off with a party-like atmosphere.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside, 22 Jan. 2026
On the same day the 2026 Sundance Film Festival kicked off, the Academy this morning announced an impressive four nominations for one of last year’s most memorable success stories.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 22 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kicked off
Verb
-
Sunday’s border battle at Wisconsin began in an inauspicious manner for the Minnesota women’s basketball team.—
Staff Report,
Twin Cities,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Just hours after bombs began raining down on Oahu, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941, two FBI agents arrived unannounced at Nikki Nojima Louis’ home in Seattle’s Japantown.—
Zoe Sottile,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Five people have died, and dozens of others were injured after a massive pileup of more than 30 vehicles in Colorado, officials say.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
19 Feb. 2026
-
In Beltrami County, one person died Monday night when a house burned to the ground in rural Port Hope Township, north of Bemidji.—
Forum News Service,
Twin Cities,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
TikTok and Snap settled with a plaintiff involved in the case before the trial commenced.—
Jonathan Vanian,
CNBC,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Bad Bunny commenced his historic performance with a stage set evoking Puerto Rican history, beginning with the brutal legacy of Spanish imperialism on the island.—
Raquel Reichard,
Refinery29,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Cortina Mayor Gianluca Lorenzi received death threats after centuries-old trees were felled to make way for a $131 million bobsledding track.—
The Week US,
TheWeek,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Afterward, Agnes and I were felled by the kind of hunger that overtakes only those who have exerted themselves in cold weather.—
Boris Fishman,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Carolyn Hax started her Washington Post advice column in 1997, after five years on the Style desk and none as a therapist.—
Carolyn Hax,
Washington Post,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Minnesota started slow and trailed the host Badgers 18-8 late in the first quarter.—
Staff Report,
Twin Cities,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
My father-in-law, who had Alzheimer’s, passed away a few years ago.—
Abigail Van Buren,
Boston Herald,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Jackson passed away on Tuesday at the age of 84.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The company originates from a small tea shop in Taiwan opened in 1996 by a man named Zhen-hua Wu.—
Ernestine Siu,
CNBC,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Koda Holeman opened the match by defeating Jeremiah Reno by technical fall 17-2.—
Michael Harley,
Arkansas Online,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Paramedics checked out three people, but none went to the hospital.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Soon, however, Sarah began not feeling well and her OBGYN told her to get checked out at a hospital.—
Abigail Adams,
PEOPLE,
16 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Kicked off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kicked%20off. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
