1
as in beginning
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 dying
slang
to stop living
surprisingly, the recluse was worth a cool million when he kicked off
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of kicking off
Two light festivals are kicking off in the Bay Area with impressive public art, including a series that will shine brightly at eight stories tall.
—
John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2025
This year, the beloved coffee brand is kicking off all their seasonal favorites November 6—and fans should head straight to the bakery case for their newest offerings.
—Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 6 Oct. 2025
Keep those air conditioners humming, because this week is kicking off with some unusually hot weather.
—Kansas City Star, 15 Sep. 2025
Swiss transportation company Twiliner is kicking off a new night bus service later this year that will be more akin to a business class airline seat than your typical bus.
—Opheli Garcia Lawler, Travel + Leisure, 8 Sep. 2025
But the regular season is kicking off in just over a week, and Hill is still there, but not without concern.
—Hunter Mulholland, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Aug. 2025
Ahead of the campaign kicking off, Beren Cross will be answering your questions right here on The Athletic’s website and app.
—Beren Cross, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2025
Oasis offered few surprises in its crowd-pleasing, hit-heavy 23-song set, which the band has reprised essentially without deviation since kicking off the Live ’25 tour in Wales in July.
—Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 17 Aug. 2025
John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2025
This year, the beloved coffee brand is kicking off all their seasonal favorites November 6—and fans should head straight to the bakery case for their newest offerings.
—Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 6 Oct. 2025
Keep those air conditioners humming, because this week is kicking off with some unusually hot weather.
—Kansas City Star, 15 Sep. 2025
Swiss transportation company Twiliner is kicking off a new night bus service later this year that will be more akin to a business class airline seat than your typical bus.
—Opheli Garcia Lawler, Travel + Leisure, 8 Sep. 2025
But the regular season is kicking off in just over a week, and Hill is still there, but not without concern.
—Hunter Mulholland, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Aug. 2025
Ahead of the campaign kicking off, Beren Cross will be answering your questions right here on The Athletic’s website and app.
—Beren Cross, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2025
Oasis offered few surprises in its crowd-pleasing, hit-heavy 23-song set, which the band has reprised essentially without deviation since kicking off the Live ’25 tour in Wales in July.
—Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 17 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kicking off
Verb
-
These suburban residents hope that vigilance will prevent the process of neighbourhood change from beginning.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
18 Oct. 2025
-
Holmes’ fight, however, was just beginning.—
Luke Cyphers,
Sportico.com,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Away from the ship, Barton was spending much of her time in a warehouse called Los Fosos, four long buildings housing hundreds of reconcentrados who were dying so quickly their graves went unnamed.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Oct. 2025
-
He was later sold to an amusement park in Mexico before starring in Free Willy, being released back into the ocean in 1998 before dying.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The case is scheduled to be heard in London’s High Court, commencing on October 28.—
Madeline Coleman,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
-
The rebate checks were issued for three consecutive years, commencing in 1999.—
Robert Goulder,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The hope for gold-producing nations like Ghana is to responsibly leverage this bountiful natural resource without falling prey to environmental degradation and civil strife.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
15 Oct. 2025
-
Volatility returns to markets Wall Street’s fear gauge, the VIX, jumped 31% on Friday — its biggest one-day gain since April — before falling 12% on Monday.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
But institutional gravity is already starting to pull the two organizations together.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
13 Oct. 2025
-
The consequences are starting to take hold right now.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Sometimes, after checking out of a game, Lillard would call Simons over from the end of the bench to explain his thought process about what had just happened on the court.—
Jay King,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Like some other customers, Micah Fannin was checking out Dutch Bros for the first time.—
Patricia Gallagher Newberry,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
With some footage shot in LA, but the move delayed, and then Ozzy passing away, the show as originally envisaged was not possible.—
Stewart Clarke,
Deadline,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In off-road environments, stepping out to scout ahead can be risky.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Oct. 2025
-
Cruz Beckham brought surrealist footwear codes to Paris Fashion Week on Friday, stepping out in JW Anderson’s frog loafers — a playful collaboration with Wellipets that fused PVC nostalgia with avant-garde design.—
Maggie Clancy,
Footwear News,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Kicking off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kicking%20off. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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