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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of kicking off
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
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
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By this time, Elio is beginning to confront the reality of Oliver’s eventual departure (and thus, his first experience of true heartbreak).—
James Factora,
Them.,
26 Sep. 2025
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In addition to the Final 3 reminiscing on the season before beginning Part 1 of the HOH competition, fans will get another glimpse inside the jury house following the evictions of Kelley Jorgensen, Lauren Domingue and Keanu Soto.—
Christopher Kuhagen,
jsonline.com,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The story centers on a young woman with gerontophobia who goes to work at a hospice after neglecting her dying parents.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Sep. 2025
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The two-century-old sculpture of a dying lion, carved out of the natural rock wall, commemorates Swiss soldiers killed during the French Revolution.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The rebate checks were issued for three consecutive years, commencing in 1999.—
Robert Goulder,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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Subsequently, Liddell highlights the importance of entrepreneurs commencing their journey with clear goals in place.—
Nia Bowers,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Meanwhile, Corey Feldman and Jenna Johnson, along with Baron Davis and Britt Stewart, were sent home after falling short in judges’ scores and viewer votes.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Sep. 2025
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After falling behind by five runs, the Mets scored five in the fifth, one inning before learning of a significant opportunity in front of them.—
Will Sammon,
New York Times,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In 2020, during COVID-19 shutdowns, English didn’t have the schedule conflicts that once hindered him from starting his own coffee business.—
Lyndsay C. Green,
Freep.com,
28 Sep. 2025
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Bloomberg previously reported that each season of the show will be based on a single book, starting with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and ending with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.—
Nicholas Rice,
PEOPLE,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Many sought out their commemorative stones on the new Everton Way before checking out the rest of the impressive £800m development.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
10 Aug. 2025
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Soundtracked by a heroic overture, the rest of the vignette shows Holland performing a high-wire stunt on top of a tank and checking out his performance on a monitor between shots.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
10 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Days before stepping out to Wimbledon, Rodrigo, also 22, performed a headlining set at Glastonbury Festival on June 29, and Partridge watched from the wings.—
Erin Clack,
PEOPLE,
20 Sep. 2025
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Sure, Levy still has uncertain reservations about stepping out of his comfort zone, but that hasn’t stopped him from enjoying the luxury hotel reservations made for him, as well as his newfound appreciation for indelible adventures.—
Laura Manske,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Defense has 1 full-time starter returning Linebacker Dariel Djabome is the lone full-time starter returning on a unit that had a difficult time getting off the field on third down.—
Everett Merrill,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Aug. 2025
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The Mercedes, which had a temporary tag, was last seen getting off the highway on exit 8A onto Northwest 95th Street, according to the FHP.—
David Goodhue,
Miami Herald,
27 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Kicking off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kicking%20off. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
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