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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
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
Dan Walters, Mercury News, 19 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kicking around
Verb
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Even the upside-down notion of Fox News turning into a progressive network or other legacy Murdoch assets being transformed seemed to be scenarios worth contemplating.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
8 Sep. 2025
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The film’s title carries particular significance for Yoon, who has been contemplating it for 15 years.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Though his interests were that of a pretty typical child — computing and gaming, playing the saxophone, enjoying soccer and time with his pets — he was also known for his acts of kindness and generosity.—
Lauren Costantino
September 6,
Miami Herald,
6 Sep. 2025
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The Chiefs also were playing without rookie wide receiver Jalen Royals, who is recovering from an injury.—
Blair Kerkhoff,
Kansas City Star,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The three of them, dressed in flip-flops and T-shirts, were wandering the streets downtown when a woman in a minivan pulled over to offer them a ride.—
Jonathan Blitzer,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
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The strangers spend the day wandering down the movie's eponymous street while a vibrant chemistry blossoms between them.—
Hannah Kerns,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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And when markets fail, public institutions must act to prevent dominant players from abusing their power.—
Ryan Whitwam,
ArsTechnica,
5 Sep. 2025
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Langley says Axon is a monopolist abusing its market position to choke out competition.—
Danielle Chemtob,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In the eyes of many fans, discussions about musical quality have given way to conversations about who snitched; pondering an artist’s potential has been replaced by RICO speculation.—
Andre Gee,
Rolling Stone,
3 Sep. 2025
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Also pondering shellfish, the German philosopher Carl du Prel insisted in 1885 that, in the wake of Darwin’s discoveries, people can no longer assume humans represent consciousness’s culmination in the Universe.—
Thomas Moynihan,
Big Think,
20 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The herd roaming the Gila Wilderness, however, is expected to be hunted in 1970 and 1971.—
Tim Kelly,
Outdoor Life,
4 Sep. 2025
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Katie Wiseman Many Hoosiers were surprised last month to learn that armadillos can be spotted roaming around southern Indiana.—
Katie Wiseman,
IndyStar,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Now, the Heat are considering a reunion with a free agent former big man, according to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun-Sentinel and Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.—
Alex Kirschenbaum,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Sep. 2025
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The city of Fort Worth is considering changing land use rules for a handful of parcels to allow buildings up to 15 stories.—
Harrison Mantas,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 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 10 Sep. 2025.
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