as in starts
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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Recent Examples of kickoffs
The 2026 World Cup has already featured plenty of drama, memorable moments and results, but the last set of group-stage matches with simultaneous kickoffs is one of the best things in the sport.
—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
24 June 2026
While the matches drew protests against the Iranian regime, including some booing both times the national anthem was played before kickoffs, the crowds heavily favored and cheered loudly for the Iranian team.
—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
23 June 2026
Next month marks the one-year countdown to the Birmingham edition of Prince Harry's Invictus Games, and the couple has attended Invictus kickoffs together previously.
—
Janine Henni,
PEOPLE,
23 June 2026
Incoom, a special teams ace, will be a primary member of the coverage teams on punts and kickoffs.
—
Mike Kaye
june 16,
Charlotte Observer,
16 June 2026
Before kickoffs at this World Cup, the television broadcast has shown who is on the VAR team for the match by cutting to a remote studio where three officials stand and sit awkwardly in front of their replay monitors.
—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
16 June 2026
Fans who like Saturday games and dislike nighttime kickoffs should be quite pleased.
—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
27 May 2026
Those include the creation of the Sunday Night Soccer package, the allowance of more daytime kickoffs in colder-weather markets, and most recently the erasure of the MLS Season Pass package in favor of making the entire match inventory available for all Apple TV+ subscribers.
—
Ian Nicholas Quillen,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
There were 35 concussions on kickoffs in 2025 compared to eight in 2024 mainly because moving the touchback to the 35-yard line resulted in 1,157 more returns.
—
ABC News,
29 Mar. 2026
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
24 June 2026
While the matches drew protests against the Iranian regime, including some booing both times the national anthem was played before kickoffs, the crowds heavily favored and cheered loudly for the Iranian team.
—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
23 June 2026
Next month marks the one-year countdown to the Birmingham edition of Prince Harry's Invictus Games, and the couple has attended Invictus kickoffs together previously.
—
Janine Henni,
PEOPLE,
23 June 2026
Incoom, a special teams ace, will be a primary member of the coverage teams on punts and kickoffs.
—
Mike Kaye
june 16,
Charlotte Observer,
16 June 2026
Before kickoffs at this World Cup, the television broadcast has shown who is on the VAR team for the match by cutting to a remote studio where three officials stand and sit awkwardly in front of their replay monitors.
—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
16 June 2026
Fans who like Saturday games and dislike nighttime kickoffs should be quite pleased.
—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
27 May 2026
Those include the creation of the Sunday Night Soccer package, the allowance of more daytime kickoffs in colder-weather markets, and most recently the erasure of the MLS Season Pass package in favor of making the entire match inventory available for all Apple TV+ subscribers.
—
Ian Nicholas Quillen,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
There were 35 concussions on kickoffs in 2025 compared to eight in 2024 mainly because moving the touchback to the 35-yard line resulted in 1,157 more returns.
—
ABC News,
29 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kickoffs
Noun
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This morning favors gentle starts and better listening, while the afternoon asks us to slow replies, check assumptions, and make our tone easier to understand.
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The Royals veteran spent 2021 with the Rays organization and made 23 starts.
Noun
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Recent Harvard commencements have grown much more political.
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Originally called MarchingOrder, Tassel had provided services for commencements for around 20 years before adding the AI name offering.
Noun
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The 22-year-old said his mind drifted back to his own beginnings, in Stockton, on that concept of general generational trauma.
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From their beginnings in the early 1990s, Failure have attracted admirers to their muscular, celestial sound, including Tool’s Maynard James Keenan and Paramore’s Hayley Williams.
Noun
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Anxiety disorders can persist into adulthood, particularly those disorders with early onsets and those that are left untreated.
Noun
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The mission is a complex one involving three separate rocket launches – NASA's SLS, Blue Origin's New Glenn and SpaceX's Starship – to get all three spacecraft to orbit.
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Sunbooster has more of a public research trail than most CES launches.
Noun
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In the past few years, Underwood has come to realize that a bunch of barking alphas may not, in fact, be the best way to build a successful pack.
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As a ballplayer, Kent was as irascible as Bonds; the two alphas reportedly brawled behind clubhouse doors, and famously clashed in the dugout during a 2002 game, when Bonds lunged for Kent’s throat and pushed him against the wall.
Noun
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Claude for Life Sciences outperforms human expert baselines on a range of complex life sciences tasks including understanding, manipulating and writing laboratory experiment protocols.
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The system aggregates sensor readings, analyzes trends, compares current measurements with historical baselines, and flags anomalies that may indicate emerging failures.
Cite this Entry
“Kickoffs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kickoffs. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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