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 hanged (around or out)
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
The group kicked around a bunch of names.
—
Brendan Quinn, New York Times, 29 Sep. 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
Brendan Quinn, New York Times, 29 Sep. 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
-
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
-
In her record-breaking guest spot on New Heights that same month, the superstar and her future brother-in-law discussed one of her special interests, numerology — which seems to have made an impact on Jason, who contemplated Travis’ new age on their show Wednesday.—
Anna Lazarus Caplan,
PEOPLE,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
McAvoy and Lindholm played just 50 and 17 games, respectively; Brandon Carlo got dealt to division rival Toronto; Zadorov never quite lived up to his beefy new deal; and youngster Lohrei struggled with too heavy of a load too soon as the carnage unfolded around him.—
Harman Dayal,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
-
The unconventional thriller played like gangbusters to the buzzing New York crowd.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Best Remote Controlled Toy Prehistoric creatures may have roamed the earth millions of years ago, but this toy brings them back to life in a way that will thrill and delight your child.—
Pamela Brill,
Parents,
2 Oct. 2025
-
When family driver Uncle Phoon – played by Taiwanese veteran Jack Kao – tells them stories of triad gangs who once roamed the streets of colonial Singapore, the girls decide to form their own gang.—
Liz Shackleton,
Deadline,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Ray tells a graphic story about his revenge on a priest who abused him.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
7 Oct. 2025
-
According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Ed later told investigators that his father had abused both him and his older sibling.—
Christopher Rudolph,
PEOPLE,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Suburban communities, including Wauwatosa, Brookfield and New Berlin, have considered a wheel tax to raise revenue for city services.—
Vanessa Swales,
jsonline.com,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Penn State’s season turns into a nightmare This is an unfathomable result for the Nittany Lions, who just eight days ago were considered national championship contenders.—
Cameron Teague Robinson,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Valora had previously wandered away from home in 2020 and was later found a few hours later at a nearby church, according to the site.—
David Chiu,
PEOPLE,
1 Oct. 2025
-
From a tiny blind dog who wandered the streets of North Carolina, to a sweet boxer mix struggling with kennel stress in Texas, here are some recent shelter stories from across the country.—
Real-Time News team,
Miami Herald,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
After getting bullied in elementary school, his mom, the comic book writer Elaine Lee, homeschooled him.—
Elisabeth Garber-Paul,
Rolling Stone,
2 Oct. 2025
-
In fact, this whole jaunt to Flatbush has been a somewhat haunting trip down memory lane for Oliver, who has been having flashbacks of being bullied and judged for his little purple scarf and penchant for the arts.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
No amendments were entertained.—
Paul Egan,
Freep.com,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Unlike other game-day snacks like chips or popcorn, where flavors and textures can get a little one-note after a while, ALDI’s Cajun Trail Mix keeps your taste buds entertained with different flavors—salty, sweet, and spicy—and different textures, too.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Kicked around.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kicked%20around. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.
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