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 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 The 174th annual Lake County Fair kicks off Friday with new vendors, concerts, a few booth location changes, and a moving performance during the first weekend, officials said. — Alexandra Kukulka, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026 Each year, the race kicks off in a new city, called the Grand Départ. — Jason Cohen, PC Magazine, 17 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for kicks off

Verb

From the moment the show begins, viewers can predict (with enormous accuracy) how the season will end.

— Selome Hailu, Variety, 11 Sep. 2026
In the care of one another, our archive begins to take shape.

— Jason Parham, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of begins

Verb

When Henry Dashwood dies, his wife (Caitríona Balfe) and three daughters are left with an inheritance of just £500 a year.

— Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 15 Sep. 2026
In this Dutch drama series based on Noort’s bestselling novel, four rich and glamorous couples are living the dream—until one of them dies in a mysterious house fire.

— Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of dies

Verb

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
This tender novel of intimacy and its risks begins in Boston in 1969, as Eve, a dancer, commences an affair with a colleague—an indiscretion that spurs her husband, a journalist named Gabe, to cheat, too.

— The New Yorker, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of commences

Verb

Saccharide is a carbohydrate made of sugars, and the Aries season falls between late March and early April.

— Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2026
Companies should examine the economics more closely when a category of loss occurs regularly, remains relatively stable and falls within an amount the organization can comfortably absorb.

— Randy Sadler, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of falls

Verb

Three steps to nuclear power The development path starts with conventional propulsion.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 16 Sep. 2026
An exchange needs on-premise deployment inside its own perimeter; a broker is often better served by a hybrid model; and a family office or bank starts from regulatory requirements that differ case by case.

— Sergey Stopnevich, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of starts

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

College football won’t be the same in Evanston after this place opens, regardless of how many games Northwestern wins or loses, and that might be true a lot further afield, too.

— The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026
Dragon Tiny Homes Its glass-door entrance opens onto its living room.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 Sep. 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 19 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of kicks off

verb

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