1
as in complains
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely
he's been kicking all week about not getting the promotion
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in objects
to present an opposing opinion or argument
fiscal conservatives have already started to kick about the proposed program, claiming it will increase the state's deficit substantially
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in thrills
a pleasurably intense stimulation of the feelings
I get a kick out of downhill skiing
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in joys
a source of great satisfaction
it was a kick for the parents to see their once-shy son star in a Broadway play
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in objections
a feeling or declaration of disapproval or dissent
nowadays there seem to be few words in the dictionary that do not raise a kick from one person or another
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in collisions
a forceful coming together of two things
I felt a kick in my hands as the jackhammer came roaring to life
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 kicks
Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025
Tali kicks Jonah a few times before Martine arrives to take him away.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Oct. 2025
Skye herself has almost no distinguishing characteristics besides her fragile state and propensity for terrible decisions, especially as the investigation around her boyfriend’s death kicks into gear.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 17 Oct. 2025
Miami field goal After each team exchanges punts, Miami’s Carter Davis kicks a 41-yard field goal to get UM back within four of Louisville.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2025
But the chaos that kicks hot Jupiters inward would most likely strip away their satellites, according to David Kipping, an exomoon-hunting astronomer at Columbia University.
—Nola Taylor Tillman, Scientific American, 13 Oct. 2025
Everyone on the base calmly kicks into gear.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 6 Oct. 2025
The starting configuration kicks down the CPU and memory but maintains 1TB of storage, opting for a Ryzen Z2 with 16GB of RAM for $1,099.
—Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 2 Oct. 2025
This is the kind of guy who kicks down a door and busts somebody’s kidney with a crowbar.
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 1 Oct. 2025
Cam Inman, Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2025
Broncos punter Jeremy Crenshaw had a couple of questionable kicks, but Denver’s defense managed to make a few stops.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 7 Nov. 2025
Asked if the technique of the new dynamic kickoff was impacting Karty’s timing and approach on field goals and extra points, Blackburn didn’t rule out the possibility and admitted the team had asked punter Ethan Evans to do kickoffs the last two games to allow Karty to focus on his kicks.
—Adam Grosbard, Oc Register, 7 Nov. 2025
Gifting a pair of kicks can get tricky and personal, especially for runners.
—John Lonsdale, Travel + Leisure, 7 Nov. 2025
Just for kicks, though, let’s explore what happens when a 1 is followed by 12 zeros.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
Special teams had missed kicks; the defense allowed 216 rushing yards from one player; the offense led by backup Andy Dalton was turning the ball over and appeared generally uninspired.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 2 Nov. 2025
Oklahoma’s offense didn’t reach the red zone in the first half but the Sooners led 16-10 because of Sandell’s kicks.
—David Ubben, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025
Rocky displayed his own set of baby-sized sneakers Kourtney Kardashian Barker's son Rocky Thirteen is rocking a new pair of kicks — and they were designed by his dad, Travis Barker!
—Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
Blue swapped out his designer kicks for regular cleats for practice the next day.
—Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025
Tali kicks Jonah a few times before Martine arrives to take him away.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Oct. 2025
Skye herself has almost no distinguishing characteristics besides her fragile state and propensity for terrible decisions, especially as the investigation around her boyfriend’s death kicks into gear.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 17 Oct. 2025
Miami field goal After each team exchanges punts, Miami’s Carter Davis kicks a 41-yard field goal to get UM back within four of Louisville.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2025
But the chaos that kicks hot Jupiters inward would most likely strip away their satellites, according to David Kipping, an exomoon-hunting astronomer at Columbia University.
—Nola Taylor Tillman, Scientific American, 13 Oct. 2025
Everyone on the base calmly kicks into gear.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 6 Oct. 2025
The starting configuration kicks down the CPU and memory but maintains 1TB of storage, opting for a Ryzen Z2 with 16GB of RAM for $1,099.
—Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 2 Oct. 2025
This is the kind of guy who kicks down a door and busts somebody’s kidney with a crowbar.
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
Also in the Rams’ spotlight is Mevis, who was brought in to supplant Joshua Karty after the Stanford product’s missed 5-of-15 field-goal attempts and three point-after kicks this season.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2025
Broncos punter Jeremy Crenshaw had a couple of questionable kicks, but Denver’s defense managed to make a few stops.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 7 Nov. 2025
Asked if the technique of the new dynamic kickoff was impacting Karty’s timing and approach on field goals and extra points, Blackburn didn’t rule out the possibility and admitted the team had asked punter Ethan Evans to do kickoffs the last two games to allow Karty to focus on his kicks.
—Adam Grosbard, Oc Register, 7 Nov. 2025
Gifting a pair of kicks can get tricky and personal, especially for runners.
—John Lonsdale, Travel + Leisure, 7 Nov. 2025
Just for kicks, though, let’s explore what happens when a 1 is followed by 12 zeros.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
Special teams had missed kicks; the defense allowed 216 rushing yards from one player; the offense led by backup Andy Dalton was turning the ball over and appeared generally uninspired.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 2 Nov. 2025
Oklahoma’s offense didn’t reach the red zone in the first half but the Sooners led 16-10 because of Sandell’s kicks.
—David Ubben, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025
Rocky displayed his own set of baby-sized sneakers Kourtney Kardashian Barker's son Rocky Thirteen is rocking a new pair of kicks — and they were designed by his dad, Travis Barker!
—Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kicks
Verb
-
At one point, Hujar complains about a call from the artist Ed Baynard.—
Michael Schulman,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
-
The president calls his wife and complains about the sole of his shoe before heading off to a girls’ basketball event with Angel Reese.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The Common Council member whose district includes Bay View objects to that petition.—
Tom Daykin,
jsonline.com,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Objects of this size are referred to as planetesimals — objects similar in size to many of the asteroids and comets in our solar system but much smaller than a dwarf planet like Pluto.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
However, Ringas says her organization is hopeful coaster fans will be able to relive some of Six Flags America’s thrills at other parks throughout the country.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Find your thrills on a rafting tour with Smoky Mountain Outdoors Rafting in Hartford or River Rat in Townsend, Hawkins says.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Both trains offer luxury journeys that encourage passengers to partake in the joys of slow travel.—
Laura Itzkowitz,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Jan. 2026
-
But one of the biggest joys for the couple is how FreshCo is evolving into a true family business.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
This approval was granted despite objections from more than 30 consumer advocacy groups that warned the system lacked proper safety testing.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
10 Jan. 2026
-
The filmmaker’s claim of innocence became a cause célèbre in Italy, leading to diplomatic pressure to transfer him, despite fierce objections by the Miami-Dade state prosecutors who convicted him.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Blockers and tacklers were also forbidden from moving until the ball was caught, or touched the ground, reducing the number of full-speed collisions.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
10 Jan. 2026
-
As satellite constellations grow, global cooperation is essential to avoid collisions and ensure effective space traffic management.—
Alexander Görlach,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Left to die, breathless and alone, Invisigal chokes while Robert screams from the other end of the comms.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
7 Nov. 2025
-
That stretch screams points, and the wise move might be to start planning your route to Salah.—
Abdul Rehman,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Walz is asking anyone who protests to do so in a peaceful way.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Iran protests over collapsing economy spread to universities Iranian authorities offered conciliatory gestures in a bid to stem growing protests over the country’s collapsing economy.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
2 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Kicks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kicks. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share