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 Knights ranked second in the Big 12 last season in kickoffs, thanks to Noe Ruelas.
—
Matt Murschel, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Jan. 2026
In a season when the team knew kickoffs would become more valuable because of touchback rule changes, the Chiefs were behind the curve on kickoff placement and freeing up their returners in the open field.
—Jesse Newell, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
And the Raiders apparently didn’t want to give Smith a chance to return one, with their kickoffs going to into the end zone.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 5 Jan. 2026
But Ryan Niblett lost a fumble on a return and the Longhorns gave up 165 return yards on six kickoffs.
—Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 1 Jan. 2026
My past 12 months of concert-going included more than two dozen shows, most of them tour kickoffs, that included every new residency at the Sphere in Las Vegas (Kenny Chesney, Backstreet Boys, Zac Brown Band) that all impressed in different ways.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 21 Dec. 2025
Minnesota's average field position after kickoffs was its 28-yard line.
—CBS News, 16 Dec. 2025
Butler returned 13 punts for 131 yards, and 20 kickoffs for 399 yards for the inaugural Cowboys team.
—Jon Paul Hoornstra, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025
Not having to practice kickoffs frees up more time to practice other aspects of the game.
—Alana Semuels, Time, 20 Oct. 2025
Matt Murschel, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Jan. 2026
In a season when the team knew kickoffs would become more valuable because of touchback rule changes, the Chiefs were behind the curve on kickoff placement and freeing up their returners in the open field.
—Jesse Newell, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
And the Raiders apparently didn’t want to give Smith a chance to return one, with their kickoffs going to into the end zone.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 5 Jan. 2026
But Ryan Niblett lost a fumble on a return and the Longhorns gave up 165 return yards on six kickoffs.
—Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 1 Jan. 2026
My past 12 months of concert-going included more than two dozen shows, most of them tour kickoffs, that included every new residency at the Sphere in Las Vegas (Kenny Chesney, Backstreet Boys, Zac Brown Band) that all impressed in different ways.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 21 Dec. 2025
Minnesota's average field position after kickoffs was its 28-yard line.
—CBS News, 16 Dec. 2025
Butler returned 13 punts for 131 yards, and 20 kickoffs for 399 yards for the inaugural Cowboys team.
—Jon Paul Hoornstra, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025
Not having to practice kickoffs frees up more time to practice other aspects of the game.
—Alana Semuels, Time, 20 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kickoffs
Noun
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In his past two starts, the guard has made 11 of his 19 attempts, including 6-of-8 shooting against the Golden Eagles.—
Caleb Yum,
Austin American Statesman,
9 Jan. 2026
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Moore did not allow a sack on 866 snaps during two seasons and 21 appearances, including 10 starts (nine in 2025).—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Both stories have been condensed to their main scenes and songs but still contain full stories with beginnings, middles and ends.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
11 Jan. 2026
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What numerology 2026 means for your life The destiny number 1 stands for new beginnings, personal responsibility, and courageous initiative.—
Hannah Madlener,
Glamour,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Ellify launches in 2016 as a small YouTube rep business, but is now a major player in influencer marketing, which is increasingly crossing over into other media spaces such as film, TV and podcast.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
14 Jan. 2026
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Netflix, which provides some live NASA coverage, including rocket launches, is not promoting the event on its platform.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
14 Jan. 2026
Noun
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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.—
Jeremy Collins,
The Atlantic,
12 Dec. 2025
Noun
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With the Cavs’ gym being significantly smaller than most other 6A schools, the game usually features a standing-room-only crowd with almost a dozen photographers on the baselines.—
Colby Gordon,
Austin American Statesman,
9 Jan. 2026
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When tested against classical AI methods and non-entangled quantum baselines, eQMARL consistently performed better, especially in scenarios where communication was limited or unreliable.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Kickoffs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kickoffs. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
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