kicks off

verb

present tense third-person singular of kick off
1
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dies
slang to stop living surprisingly, the recluse was worth a cool million when he kicked off

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 off Halloween kicks off a series of religious and cultural festivals to honor the dead, including All Saints’ Day, All Souls’ Day and the Day of the Dead. — Ashton Verdery, The Conversation, 23 Oct. 2026 The Head of the Charles Regatta kicks off in Boston Friday morning and one special team of rowers has its eye on history. — Amanda Callahan, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026 London is still underway, and AFI FEST kicks off in Los Angeles on October 21. — Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 16 Oct. 2026 Like every other competitor, the US Airspeeder team will use a standard Mk3C aircraft, albeit with DeLorean's branding and custom livery for the series that kicks off next month. — New Atlas, 16 Oct. 2026 Here, though MipJunior kicks off blessed by early fall sun, the PBS outlook is more overcast. — John Hopewell, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026 Phase 2 starts Saturday, when Atlanta kicks off a best-of-five series with the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers. — Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 2 Oct. 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kicks off
  1. begins
  2. dies
  3. commences
  4. falls
  5. starts
  6. passes away
  7. opens
  8. perishes
Verb
  • As the employee begins to approach retirement and the DC account balance grows, the percentage of their contribution allocated to the annuity could increase as part of a glide path.
    — Jeff Stevenson, Forbes.com, 6 Nov. 2026
  • The closure, which begins Saturday, has been years in the making and included impact-mitigation meetings among California Department of Transportation officials, neighboring communities, shipping companies, labor unions and the contractor.
    — Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of begins
Verb
  • When a tyre blowout sends the car plunging off a cliff, the driver, Luis, dies instantly and Sara trapped in the car between rocks as the tide rises relentlessly.
    — John Hopewell, Variety, 12 Nov. 2026
  • Selena Leoni When Dale Lewis’ grandmother Durene dies and her family gathers to host a traditional Jamaican wake, she is given nine nights to fulfill Durene’s secret dying wish – but at the risk of tearing her family apart.
    — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 12 Nov. 2026
Definition of dies
Verb
  • Or to be up high and see that, down below, a town is just a grid spread out on a map and nothing more, a grid that flickers with lights that spark on as the darkness commences.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The process, in other words, commences with the industrial production of miniature supernovas.
    — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of commences
Verb
  • That trend runs against the old explanation for demographic change, which held that fertility invariably falls as a community or society gets richer.
    — Jesús Fernández-Villaverde, Foreign Affairs, 10 Nov. 2026
  • After subtracting the $33,200 standard deduction, their taxable income would be $96,800, which falls below the 0% threshold.
    — Kate Dore, CFP®, EA, CNBC, 10 Nov. 2026
Definition of falls
Verb
  • When a brand tells that kind of story honestly, its audience starts to cheer it on.
    — Kylie Slavik, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2026
  • The season starts with Cassius Clay’s gold medal-winning match at the 1960 Rome Olympics.
    — Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 10 Nov. 2026
Definition of starts
Verb
  • His famous patient passes away 25 minutes into the film; the remaining 86 minutes focus on Garofalo’s legal maneuverings and his own incredulity at virtually every part of the process of being put through the public wringer.
    — Todd Gilchrist, Variety, 17 Oct. 2026
  • 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
Definition of passes away
Verb
  • The spa The Roman-style pool opens onto a terrace with panoramic views, while the tranquil spa blends marble, bamboo, and water features into a serene retreat.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Nov. 2026
  • The platform opens Relex to external systems, agents, partners, and customer teams through APIs, plugins, and other open standards, letting organizations connect existing technology and build new capabilities without replacing what already works.
    — Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 6 Nov. 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

Browse Nearby Words

kicks in
kicks off
kicks out
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Cite this Entry

“Kicks off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kicks%20off. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

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