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
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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
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Recent Examples of kicked off
As the 2024 holiday season kicked off, Zaya and her dad got all dressed up for the grand opening of Revolve's Holiday Shop at The Grove.
—
Alexandra Schonfeld, PEOPLE, 29 May 2026
Paltrow kicked off summer with a classic yet cool button-down shirtdress; the polished though not too formal look felt perfect for the office.
—Kaelin Dodge, InStyle, 29 May 2026
The quartet of Gwen Stefani, Tony Kanal, Adrian Young and Tom Dumont kicked off their 18-show residency at Sphere Las Vegas on May 6 with a colorful romp through their ska-pop songbook.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 7 May 2026
D’Arnaud’s 396-foot shot off Noah Schultz (2-2), the backup catcher’s first homer of the season, kicked off a five-run second inning for the Halos.
—Senior Editor, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
Several times in the last couple of decades, Microsoft has released source code for the original MS-DOS operating system that kicked off its decades-long dominance of consumer PCs.
—Andrew Cunningham, ArsTechnica, 30 Apr. 2026
The achievement kicked off an age of discovery in genetics, with researchers racing to decode the genomes of other pathogens—and eventually animals.
—Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 30 Apr. 2026
Hayden Homes kicked off the campaign Wednesday with a $100,000 donation to a library in Walla Walla, Washington, following the advocacy of customers in the area, Murphy said.
—Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 23 Apr. 2026
Rain continued as the match kicked off.
—Daily News, 23 Apr. 2026
Alexandra Schonfeld, PEOPLE, 29 May 2026
Paltrow kicked off summer with a classic yet cool button-down shirtdress; the polished though not too formal look felt perfect for the office.
—Kaelin Dodge, InStyle, 29 May 2026
The quartet of Gwen Stefani, Tony Kanal, Adrian Young and Tom Dumont kicked off their 18-show residency at Sphere Las Vegas on May 6 with a colorful romp through their ska-pop songbook.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 7 May 2026
D’Arnaud’s 396-foot shot off Noah Schultz (2-2), the backup catcher’s first homer of the season, kicked off a five-run second inning for the Halos.
—Senior Editor, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
Several times in the last couple of decades, Microsoft has released source code for the original MS-DOS operating system that kicked off its decades-long dominance of consumer PCs.
—Andrew Cunningham, ArsTechnica, 30 Apr. 2026
The achievement kicked off an age of discovery in genetics, with researchers racing to decode the genomes of other pathogens—and eventually animals.
—Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 30 Apr. 2026
Hayden Homes kicked off the campaign Wednesday with a $100,000 donation to a library in Walla Walla, Washington, following the advocacy of customers in the area, Murphy said.
—Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 23 Apr. 2026
Rain continued as the match kicked off.
—Daily News, 23 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kicked off
Verb
-
Sochan began the year with the San Antonio Spurs, the franchise that selected him in the first round of the 2022 NBA Draft.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
1 June 2026
-
One of the earliest programs for continuing education came from Harvard University, who began the Harvard Extension School in 1835 in what was then called the Lowell Institute.—
Bryan Penprase,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
Harris plays with the memory of her mom, Suzie Brawner, who died two years ago.—
Lauren Pastrana,
CBS News,
4 June 2026
-
Mbogo Macharia, the lawyer representing the families of the 16 girls who died in the fire, called for a thorough investigation within 21 days.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
Usyk tried to swarm once the action commenced.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
-
The LPs also commenced his empathetic association with bassist Bob Cranshaw, who appeared on Rollins’ albums for the next half-century.—
Chris Morris,
Variety,
26 May 2026
Verb
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Piccotto effectively plays the regret of a mother forced to reckon with the loss of a child, the horror of engaging with that child again, while also grappling with her own role as a mother felled by the scourge of addiction.—
David John Chávez,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
-
In a Western Conference Final where a few other key Colorado Avalanche players are already playing through injuries, the NHL’s leading goal scorer this season was felled trying to prevent someone else from scoring.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
25 May 2026
Verb
-
Oncologists are being flooded with requests as the special access program gets started.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
31 May 2026
-
Yet, San Antonio should be well-prepared for the challenge, having beaten the reigning champion Thunder, which started this season 24-1 and swept its first two playoff opponents.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
31 May 2026
Verb
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When Joan passed away in 2013, her daughter took over the reins as curator.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
The prolific designer, who made an indelible impact on the rap world, passed away in 2021 after a battle with cancer.—
Jeff Ihaza,
VIBE.com,
2 June 2026
Verb
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Ditto for the realization that Jean-Michel Basquiat died of an overdose in lower Manhattan the same day The Last Temptation opened in midtown.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 June 2026
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The other two entrances, also blocked by craters and debris, had already been opened, and the roads to them, previously destroyed by bombing, had been repaved.—
Tamara Qiblawi,
CNN Money,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
Police checked out Hopkins' story.—
Peter Van Sant,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
-
Lamar Odom has reportedly checked out of rehab after completing a 30-day program following his DUI arrest earlier this year.—
Joseph Wilkinson,
New York Daily News,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Kicked off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kicked%20off. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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