kicking in

verb

present participle of kick in
1
as in contributing
to make a donation as part of a group effort if everyone in the department kicks in, we can give him an especially nice present for his retirement

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in dying
slang to stop living the ornery cuss finally kicked in at the ripe old age of 90

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of kicking in Taking over the trap is slang for kicking in the door to someone else’s place and taking their valuables for yourself. — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Oct. 2026 As of today, with that $7 million ticking fee to WBD shareholders kicking in October 1 and Ellison’s leaked threat to pull up HQ stakes outta the Golden State still stinging, the deal still sits in legal limbo. — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 28 Sep. 2026 Prime under the eyes with a tightening gel Film-forming gels can visibly smooth and tighten skin for a few hours, with results kicking in after about five minutes. — Polly Blitzer, Allure, 2 Sep. 2026 From the Sacramento Valley to Modesto and Merced For Sacramento and folks south towards Modesto and Merced, high temps should hold in the mid- to upper 80s Thursday afternoon thanks to the Delta breeze kicking in. — Sean MacAday, Sacbee.com, 2 July 2026 Neighbors had said that before the day of the killing, Brockenshire allegedly had commented about kicking in Kenyon’s door and shooting him. — Kansas City Star, 15 May 2026 One provider recommended a different formula, but Laura responded that her son was burning calories by kicking in his bed, crawling and wheeling around in his wheelchair. — Amelia Mugavero, CBS News, 1 Apr. 2026 As an alternative, Indiana lawmakers last month authorized building a new stadium in Hammond, with the team kicking in $2 billion and the state using new taxes to pay about $1 billion. — Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 1 Apr. 2026 As the FanDuel Sports Network RSNs begin the process of winding down, Manfred’s push to collectivize the local rights for each MLB franchise is kicking in at a sadly fortuitous moment. — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 18 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kicking in
  1. contributing
  2. dying
  3. falling
  4. checking out
  5. passing away
  6. stepping out
  7. kicking off
  8. perishing
Verb
  • Hill remained through the band’s many lineup changes, playing on every studio album from its 1974 debut, Rocka Rolla, through its 2024 release, Invincible Shield, and contributing to the forthcoming follow-up.
    — SPIN Staff, SPIN, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Major gas companies have limited the amount of fuel customers can buy, and the price of gasoline and diesel have both risen about 20 percent since the beginning of the year, contributing to nationwide inflation.
    — Jarrett Ley, Washington Post, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of contributing
Verb
  • Proponents say these are projects California communities are dying to build, hampered by cost increases and delays from CEQA litigation.
    — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 12 Oct. 2026
  • In 2020, Fauci, newly famous as the COVID pandemic’s explainer-in-chief, called Kramer, who was dying.
    — Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of dying
Verb
  • The disruption has sent transits through the straits of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb falling sharply after mostly recovering to their pre-war levels.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026
  • This all comes at a time when supply is falling — and falling faster than demand is recovering.
    — Diana Olick, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of falling
Verb
  • All the deals over at Dell are worth checking out right now, but especially the Alienware 16 Aurora laptop.
    — Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 8 Sep. 2026
  • I'mPhaedra Trethan, checking out my colleague Trevor Hughes' Mad Max-Dune-steampunk visions from Burning Man.
    — Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of checking out
Verb
  • For her part, Lily Renée continued drawing comics for many years after Rio’s retirement and was inducted into the Will Eisner Hall of Fame in 2007 before passing away in New York in 2022, at the age of 101.
    — Gaby Iori October 7, Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Her sister had been through cervical cancer and two bouts of breast cancer before passing away from the disease.
    — Ayren Jackson-Cannady, SELF, 29 May 2026
Definition of passing away
Verb
  • There’s something very nice about stepping out on a terrace right in the heart of bustling Vancouver to feel the crisp Pacific Northwest air.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Oct. 2026
  • But the real risk shows up when leaders let professionals get too comfortable stepping out of the loop instead of staying engaged in the judgment and review the work still requires.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of stepping out
Verb
  • Day two of the STAT Summit is just kicking off as this newsletter lands in inboxes.
    — Mario Aguilar, STAT, 15 Oct. 2026
  • After overwhelming demand for tickets, Duff announced new dates through November 2027, kicking off in Madrid in May 2027 and wrapping in Anaheim, California, next November.
    — Katie Atkinson, Billboard, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of kicking off
Verb
  • This summer has been a deadly one in Europe, with over 10,000 people perishing in the extreme heat over just a few weeks.
    — Morgan Simon, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Julie Chen Moonves shares her thoughts on that wild Big Brother premiere, including Rachel Reilly perishing in a volcano.
    — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 10 July 2026
Definition of perishing

Browse Nearby Words

kicking butt
kicking in
kicking off
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Kicking in.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kicking%20in. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of fervid

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All