KICKS OFF Synonyms: 104 Similar and Opposite Words

kicks off

verb

present tense third-person singular of kick off

as in begins

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

as in dies

slang to stop living surprisingly, the recluse was worth a cool million when he kicked off

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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 off The tour kicks off at a high point for the University of Illinois System, which has seen a boost in undergraduate enrollment this fall. — Kate Perez, Chicago Tribune, 25 Sep. 2026 College football kicks off in a few hours, and Underdog is offering you a great option to receive a $1,000 deposit match bonus to use for college football this weekend using promo code FOXNEWS. — Outkick, FOXNews.com, 18 Sep. 2026 By the time the Liverpool game kicks off, Jaissle will still have only been in Newcastle for a fortnight. — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026 The trek kicks off September 9 in Milwaukee and concludes a month later in Santa Ana, California on October 18. — Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 21 Aug. 2026 Inter Miami, seeking to end a four-game winless skid, kicks off a three-game homestand on Saturday against Toronto FC. — Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 21 Aug. 2026 The song, an ode to Sivan’s love and appreciation for women, especially transgender women, kicks off a new era for the singer following his 2023 album, Something to Give Each Other. — Jack Irvin, PEOPLE, 14 Aug. 2026 This event kicks off a rare series of three total solar eclipses within 372 days. — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for kicks off

Verb

Alex begins to get a nagging feeling this girl could actually be his daughter from that long-ago relationship.

— Pete Hammond, Deadline, 2 Oct. 2026
My novel Blow Yourself Up begins when smartphones make their way into high schools and follows the rise of platforms and influencers, ending just before the dawn of AI.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of begins

Verb

The job is largely a ceremonial post, but if the sitting governor dies, resigns or is removed from office, then the lieutenant governor would be elevated to take over.

— Jon Regardie, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
When Latif’s wife dies, he’s immediately forced to tamp down on the instincts that have provided for his family and wade unsteady into a world of bottles, transport, and dinner time.

— CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of dies

Verb

The pilot commences online and at stores across Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas.

— Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2026
The Europa League commences with its first league phase fixtures next week, on Wednesday, September 16 and Thursday, September 17.

— Leon Imber, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of commences

Verb

Warmer temperatures associated with El Niño can mean more precipitation falls as rain rather than snow at lower elevations, while colder, higher elevations remain more likely to see accumulating snow.

— Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 29 Sep. 2026
If unit cost falls while outcomes hold or improve, there may be a case to scale.

— Alec Scott, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of falls

Verb

Notable franchise records • Dak Prescott is six touchdown passes away from passing Tony Romo to become the Dallas Cowboys career leader in passing touchdowns.

— Saad Yousuf, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
The loan does not need to be repaid until the last borrower passes away, sells the home, or moves out for good, such as entering long-term care.

— Gary Singer, Sun Sentinel, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of passes away

Verb

Saturday’s game opens a stretch of nine consecutive weeks of football for Kansas — no additional byes the rest of the way.

— Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 2 Oct. 2026
The show opens with a handful of personal objects tracing Pavarotti’s unlikely path from Belém, a port city on the edge of the Amazon, to Paris.

— Alison S. Cohn, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of opens

Verb

In The Children, sister and brother Guinevere and Ennis grow up under the shadow of their mother, Edith Sharpe, whose Ninth City children’s book series transfixes the world until Edith perishes in a mysterious fire in Vermont.

— Hamilton Cain, Time, 7 July 2026
Every soldier Harry would have saved on a transport during the war perishes too.

— Margaret Heidenry, Vanity Fair, 24 Dec. 2025

Definition of perishes

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kicks in

kicks off

kicks out

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“Kicks off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kicks%20off. Accessed 3 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of kicks off

verb

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