kicks back

verb

present tense third-person singular of kick back
1
as in rests
to refrain from labor or exertion I plan to spend the day kicking back and watching television

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in kills time
to spend time doing nothing a good resort for people who want to kick back and watch others exercise strenuously

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 kicks back Next week, the women head to Bethany Beach, Wendy and Stacey’s on-again/off-again dynamic kicks back up, and the Eileen Davidson accords are finally lifted. — Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 2 Nov. 2026 Well … that’s where my skepticism kicks back in. — Emma Sarappo, The Atlantic, 12 June 2026 With their mandatory minicamp wrapping up on Thursday, the Chicago Bears get some time to rest before offseason programming kicks back into gear. — Jayna Bardahl, New York Times, 11 June 2026 Today is the last day before Georgia’s gas tax kicks back in. — Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 2 June 2026 But once that stupendous on-screen chemistry between co-stars David Tennant and Michael Sheen kicks back in, the old magic shines through, strong as ever, giving us a fitting end to this beloved comic saga. — ArsTechnica, 15 May 2026 Riley Green kicks back at Heydude's new store in Austin to shop for new summer kicks. — People Staff, PEOPLE, 14 May 2026 The light chance of showers kicks back in Tuesday night as skies turn cloudy and remains into early Wednesday, forecasts show. — Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 26 Apr. 2026 That’s because if a patient can’t pay or an insurer kicks back a claim, a small practice in a rural area can be on the hook for tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars. — Caleb Hellerman, CNN Money, 29 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kicks back
  1. rests
  2. hangs about
  3. relaxes
  4. plays
  5. basks
  6. bums
Verb
  • Much of the allure of China’s pitch rests on how the country’s developers share their technology.
    — DANIEL REMLER, Foreign Affairs, 10 Nov. 2026
  • Still, a bullish case for Alphabet rests not in its post-earnings concerns being unfounded, but rather on its growth being strong enough to withstand them.
    — Julia Spina, CNBC, 10 Nov. 2026
Definition of rests
Verb
  • Though the sisters are supposedly first-generation Italian American, no whiff of the old country hangs about Kay; Dorothy will at least spit out a few words in Italian.
    — Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2026
  • Turquoise pearl, and azure line the space, and a cylindrical hanging light sculpture made of hundreds of white and gold ceramic fish hangs about the lounge seating area.
    — Kristin Braswell, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Jan. 2026
Definition of hangs about
Verb
  • Arginine is an amino acid that the body needs to make nitric oxide, a compound that relaxes and expands blood vessels, improving blood flow.
    — Mark Gurarie, HEALTH, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Consuming caffeine relaxes the muscular valve between the esophagus and stomach, according to the Cleveland Clinic, which can cause stomach acid to move up into the esophagus and possibly lead to heartburn.
    — Sadie Chafe, FOXNews.com, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of relaxes
Verb
  • Three plays later, Austin Simmons hit Cayden Lee, who got blasted by a Longhorn defender and fumbled to set up the game-sealing Texas TD.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Pitre plays a key role in the as the nickel cornerback, and his versatility at the position is somewhat irreplaceable in DeMeco Ryans’ scheme.
    — Peter Warren, Houston Chronicle, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of plays
Verb
  • This week, Tinashe navigates the highs and lows of being a pop star, Blondshell basks in the beauty of her life, and Taylor Swift is back for the curtain call with a deluxe offering from The Life of a Showgirl.
    — Rolling Stone, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2026
  • White House debuts an alternative Trump famously loves the spotlight and basks in the glow of TV cameras.
    — David Folkenflik, NPR, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of basks
Verb
  • The joy Lisa has with her RHUGT cast compared with the dread her RHOSLC cast seems to bring her really bums me out — especially because of how much of this trip is championing the sisterhood of Housewives.
    — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Critical thinking really bums them out.
    — Ed Masley, AZCentral.com, 13 Mar. 2026
Definition of bums

Browse Nearby Words

kicks around
kicks back
kicks butt
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Kicks back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kicks%20back. Accessed 14 Nov. 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

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

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

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Nov. 13

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
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
speech-bubble-untangle
Simplify The Convoluted Expression Quiz A quiz that’s as “uncomplicated as a round de...
See All