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
  • The Heat now heads out West for a five-game trip that begins Monday against the Lakers in Los Angeles.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 31 Oct. 2026
  • The new offering is designed to help teams, leagues, owners and developers answer questions before design begins, from fan experience and revenue strategy to sponsorships, naming rights and destination development.
    — Sportico Staff, Sportico.com, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of begins
Verb
  • But beneath the pop-culture surface, this is also a story of families, about all the chatter and the cacophonous who-knows-what that goes on when a parent dies in unusual circumstances.
    — Damon Wise, Deadline, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Her father, Steve Apa, told the New York Times that the cause was rhabdomyolysis, also known as rhabdo, a rare condition in which skeletal muscle breaks down and dies quickly, poisoning the body.
    — Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 4 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
  • The water can remain liquid and freeze on contact with the surfaces of an airplane — much like freezing rain falls as liquid and freezes on cars and roads on contact.
    — Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Edmonton visits New Jersey, and the spotlight falls squarely on Leon Draisaitl.
    — OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of falls
Verb
  • Safer checkout habits for the holiday season Avoiding holiday shopping scams starts with a few simple habits.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 3 Nov. 2026
  • While a treatment with one of Faria’s team starts from $350, she’s shared some of her favorite (easy) exercises that are designed to stimulate your lymphatic system at home.
    — Hannah Coates, Vogue, 3 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
  • That again, opens a door to our culture that makes content more accessible.
    — Nada Aboul Kheir, Deadline, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Every episode opens with a hook designed to create immediate emotional investment, such as a cliffhanger, a conflict or a reveal.
    — Phoena Pang, Forbes.com, 30 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

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 7 Nov. 2026.

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