1
as in contemplated
to give serious and careful thought to
the board spent the afternoon kicking around the feasibility of opening an overseas office
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in played
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 hacked (around)
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 roamed
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 abused
to inflict physical or emotional harm upon
children who were raised by an alcoholic father who regularly kicked them around
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of kicked around
One of the ideas that has been kicked around is putting the playoff event in larger cities and more historic venues.
—
Bob Buttitta, Oc Register, 23 Feb. 2026
One of the things that have been kicked around is a one-time 5% tax on billionaires.
—Nicole Nixon, Sacbee.com, 6 Jan. 2026
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
The club had kicked around the idea of Suárez and Nola sharing an outing, but it was made official on Monday night after a gut-wrenching Game 2 loss.
—Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
Other ideas kicked around over the years have been subsidized housing or even returning it to its history of entertainment, as a high-end theater and performing arts academy.
—Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Sep. 2025
The idea of an independent misconduct authority has been kicked around by the industry since the Noel Clarke scandal four years ago, but its existence has become more pressing amid a string of power abuse crises involving the likes of MasterChef presenter Wallace and ITV chef Gino D’Acampo.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2025
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
Bob Buttitta, Oc Register, 23 Feb. 2026
One of the things that have been kicked around is a one-time 5% tax on billionaires.
—Nicole Nixon, Sacbee.com, 6 Jan. 2026
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
The club had kicked around the idea of Suárez and Nola sharing an outing, but it was made official on Monday night after a gut-wrenching Game 2 loss.
—Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
Other ideas kicked around over the years have been subsidized housing or even returning it to its history of entertainment, as a high-end theater and performing arts academy.
—Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Sep. 2025
The idea of an independent misconduct authority has been kicked around by the industry since the Noel Clarke scandal four years ago, but its existence has become more pressing amid a string of power abuse crises involving the likes of MasterChef presenter Wallace and ITV chef Gino D’Acampo.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kicked around
Verb
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The other professional path that Godoy contemplated would’ve still brought him back to acting.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Kelce, 36, had contemplated retirement, but he is set to return for a 14th NFL season, all with Kansas City.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Biel, who played so well in 2025 Charlotte FC brought him back on permanent transfer in 2026, received a pass from Ashley Westwood on a set play and fired a shot into the back of the net.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Mar. 2026
-
The two teams played their Class 6A Division ll girls state championship basketball game at the Alamodome in San Antonio on March 7, 2026.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
This bit of mammoth tusk is about 2 feet long and looks more like a log than part of a big curved tooth from a hairy beast that roamed the tundra before going extinct thousands of years ago.—
Rob Stein,
NPR,
4 Mar. 2026
-
The genus Acanthochitona — the specific group to which feroxa belongs — developed about 92 million years ago during the Late Cretaceous, when dinosaurs still roamed the Earth.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The complaint alleges that the late singer abused the four siblings at international and national tour stops as well as at his Santa Barbara County estate, Neverland Ranch.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Mar. 2026
-
During the investigation, multiple other individuals reported that Joachim had abused them in the late 1990s and early 2000s.—
Michael Cuviello,
Dallas Morning News,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Widely considered the best run-blocking tight end available ahead of free agency, Kolar should help an uneven Chargers running attack that forced coach Jim Harbaugh to often rely too much on quarterback Justin Herbert — even when his running backs were healthy.—
Senior Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
-
On the American right, voices once considered allies traffic in antisemitic conspiracies.—
Calev Myers,
New York Daily News,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Cher’s adult son Elijah Blue Allman busted into a New Hampshire home over the weekend, and then kicked back on the couch with a cigarette, police said.—
Jessica Schladebeck,
New York Daily News,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Although the regionalization had led to a deceleration in the growth of shipping costs throughout 2024 as the Everything Store aggressively embarked on its cost-cutting crusade, these expenses kicked back up into high gear throughout the 2025 fiscal year.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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At the Dallas Zoo’s first Dog Days event, hundreds of pups wandered the grounds with their owners.—
Julia James,
Dallas Morning News,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Shah Alam had been out for a walk and was using a curtain rod as a walking stick when he got lost and wandered onto private property, his son Mohamad Faisal said.—
Hanna Park,
CNN Money,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Do not procrastinate — and do not be bullied, either by your spouse or your attorney!—
Terry Savage,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Similarly, the defense insists, Oak View Group wasn’t bullied but instead pursued opportunities for collaboration.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
4 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Kicked around.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kicked%20around. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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