1
as in contemplating
to give serious and careful thought to
the board spent the afternoon kicking around the feasibility of opening an overseas office
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in playing
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 hanging (around or out)
to spend time doing nothing
spent the afternoon kicking around, while his wife bought out the mall
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4
as in wandering
to move about from place to place aimlessly
after spending a year in Europe kicking around, the backpacker was ready to return home
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5
as in abusing
to inflict physical or emotional harm upon
children who were raised by an alcoholic father who regularly kicked them around
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of kicking around
There are a number of great kitchenware deals kicking around, including markdowns on nonstick and stainless steel cookware, air fryers, Keurigs, and immersion blenders.
—
Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 3 Oct. 2025
None is more important than what’s been kicking around for at least six decades, a project to bolster California’s north-to-south shipments of water by bypassing the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 19 Aug. 2025
Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 3 Oct. 2025
None is more important than what’s been kicking around for at least six decades, a project to bolster California’s north-to-south shipments of water by bypassing the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 19 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kicking around
Verb
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Now, Brown is losing followers, other creators are weighing in, and another Hannah Brown is contemplating ways to distance herself from the whole thing.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
27 Sep. 2025
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In a Fox Business interview, Carr mentioned that the FTC is contemplating broadening its click-to-cancel rulemaking, asserting his disagreement with the previous administration’s approach to establishing the rule.—
Jordan Green,
Nashville Tennessean,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Vought, who helped write the policy blueprint known as Project 2025, is playing a major role during the shutdown, including on decisions over whether there are mass layoffs of federal employees instead of furloughs and what funding is cut and what is allowed to flow.—
Sarah D. Wire,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
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George Clooney is playing a movie star, and that was sort of built into the idea.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The cubs had been found wandering without their mother near Poway in late March.—
Karen Kucher,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 Sep. 2025
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Bertis Sutton, Ruth’s son, told Global News in June that his mother has early stage Alzheimer’s but had not shown signs of being disoriented or wandering away.—
David Chiu,
PEOPLE,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Last year, Cindy Clemishire, 55, accused Morris of abusing her at the age of 12.—
Jordan King,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
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Cardi responded in kind, speculating whether or not Minaj was abusing substances, and insinuating that Minaj’s substance use has affected her children’s health.—
Jeff Ihaza,
Rolling Stone,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Instead, the Mets are back to square one, pondering a new kind of disappointment.—
Tim Britton,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
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Over a mashup of fiddles and guitars, Tod and Jennings blend their rough-hewn voices on a song about consequences for older vices and choices, pondering when the consequences of those actions outweigh the vices themselves.—
Jessica Nicholson,
Billboard,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Observing this phenomenon could provide insight into the many alien worlds roaming freely through space.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Oct. 2025
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Johnson County officials are turning to Fort Worth for help in capturing a pack of dogs roaming neighborhoods in Godley and threatening children’s safety.—
Fousia Abdullahi,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Euro zone inflation picks up pace European investors are considering various data releases on Wednesday.—
Tasmin Lockwood,Chloe Taylor,
CNBC,
1 Oct. 2025
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But doing just that could prove difficult, considering the litany of injuries the team is dealing with on the offensive side of the ball.—
Reice Shipley,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Gisin hopes that by fooling around with measurements of these more exotic states, physicists will come to better understand the role of measurement in general.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
8 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Kicking around.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kicking%20around. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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