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
Relevance
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
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
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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All the while, much of the growth in the stock market is driven by tech and AI stocks, especially a massive nationwide investment in data centers, with many investors beginning to see signs of a bubble that may end up popping before any other shoes drop.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
5 Sep. 2025
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Jackman keeps that inheritance intact, similarly flipping the romantic tale script by beginning not with flirtation or longing, but with a wedding.—
Leila Latif,
IndieWire,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Only action will keep our kids from dying.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Sep. 2025
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Dido’s wonderfully operatic dying curse on her former lover foreshadows the future wars between her people and the descendants of the treacherous Trojans.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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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
-
And customers are falling for it.—
Christopher Elliott,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
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Other big stories ➤ The median rent on a one-bedroom Phoenix-area apartment is falling after the region led the nation in price increases in 2021.—
Lorenzino Estrada,
AZCentral.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Because, immediately, journeyman Jones threw five passes on the first five plays to began attacking the NFL’s weakest starting cornerbacks — a situation too obvious for the club to have gone the entire offseason not doing enough to remedy.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
8 Sep. 2025
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The season-starting installment showed the duo arriving in London only to find a single living person remaining in the form of Stephen Merchant’s Julian.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 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
-
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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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
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Jones tried to make a hero play on the Chargers’ final third-down conversion, stepping out of his assignment and out of his containment lane to rush the passer.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
6 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 9 Sep. 2025.
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