1
as in to begin
to take the first step in (a process or course of action)
I'll kick off the discussion on ethics with this question
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to die
slang
to stop living
surprisingly, the recluse was worth a cool million when he kicked off
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in beginning
the point at which something begins
a political cycle in which an election marks not only the end of one campaign but also the kickoff for the next one
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of kick off
Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 8 Nov. 2025
However, the years-in-the-making tour will instead kick off in March 2026, six years after the singer first announced her intention for a solo jaunt.
—Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 8 Nov. 2025
Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 2 Nov. 2025
Taylor added that no decision could be made on whether the 40-year-old would suit up against Chicago, likely meaning that Flacco may be a game-time decision as the opening kickoff approaches.
—Cameron Belcher, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for kick off
Verb
Jelly Roll has been forced to cancel the final date of his debut Australia and New Zealand tour, citing illness, just hours before the headline show was set to kick off.
—Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 8 Nov. 2025
However, the years-in-the-making tour will instead kick off in March 2026, six years after the singer first announced her intention for a solo jaunt.
—Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 8 Nov. 2025
Noun
Cincinnati got the scoring started when Charlie Jones returned a kick 98 yards for a touchdown on the opening kickoff.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 2 Nov. 2025
Taylor added that no decision could be made on whether the 40-year-old would suit up against Chicago, likely meaning that Flacco may be a game-time decision as the opening kickoff approaches.
—Cameron Belcher, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for kick off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kick off
Verb
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On the plane, Dick clutches the slingshot and begins sweating and muttering to himself before becoming unresponsive.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
10 Nov. 2025
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Numerous reports and videos of thundersnow in downtown Chicago began to roll in after midnight local time.—
Briana Waxman,
CNN Money,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The driver of the car that was hit died at the scene, according to police.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Nov. 2025
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In filing the suit, the city was following the lead of Norma Nazario, who, in 2024, sued TikTok and Meta for the wrongful death of her fifteen-year-old son, Zackery, who died surfing, claiming that algorithms encouraged her son to become addicted to the act.—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
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From its beginning, the leaders of the rebellion well understood the global reach and resonance of their great struggle.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
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But that was the beginning of everything for both of us.—
Karen Taylor Bass,
Billboard,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Readiness takes into account students who are prepared for life after graduation, including by enrolling in college, starting a career or enlisting in the military.—
Dmitry Martirosov,
Arkansas Online,
12 Nov. 2025
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In his place, KU (2-1) started Elmarko Jackson.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
12 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Two things happened on that blustery back-to-school morning that fell exactly a month after my eleventh birthday.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Nov. 2025
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Midway through the third quarter, true freshman linebacker Mason Posa, buried on the depth chart just weeks ago, ripped the ball loose at Washington’s 7-yard line and fell on it himself.—
Ira Gorawara,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Moore delivered a commencement address at Lincoln University in Gettysburg in May, the same month Gallego and Khanna paid their own visits.—
Oren Oppenheim,
ABC News,
6 Nov. 2025
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The actor previously gave a commencement speech at the college in 2021.—
Daysia Tolentino,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Pre-production is slated for Q3 2026, with filming scheduled to commence in Q1 2027.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
5 Nov. 2025
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Other players, however, insist that disarmament must commence first, or else any political process will be subjected to Hamas’s interference, and to arm-twisting by those who can exert influence with their guns and tunnels.—
Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib,
The Atlantic,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Beijing nearly doubled the rate of expansion at missile production sites in the two years that followed the onset of the war, according to CNN’s satellite imagery analysis of constructed floorspace.—
Tamara Qiblawi,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
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Amid the second surge of the virus, in August 2020, the first ‘covid novel’ arrived—Ali Smith’s Summer, the last of a seasonal quartet, written during Britain’s early lockdown, which includes real-time descriptions of the pandemic’s onset.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Kick off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kick%20off. Accessed 14 Nov. 2025.
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