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

Relevance

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 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
  1. begins
  2. dies
  3. commences
  4. falls
  5. starts
  6. passes away
  7. opens
  8. perishes
Verb
  • As Georgia’s college campuses are bustling with students again, this edition of the AJC On Campus roundup begins with a $250,000 settlement.
    — Jason Armesto, AJC.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The resort begins clearing the beach before sunrise each morning, but nature doesn't always cooperate.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of begins
Verb
  • Rubs are typically made on saplings 1 to 3 inches in diameter; the tree typically dies since its bark is often slashed away completely around its trunk.
    — Jim Zumbo, Outdoor Life, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Franny and Jet’s Final Act The film’s most emotional moments belong to Jet — who dies early on after hearing a deathwatch beetle — and Franny (Stockard Channing), whose arc closes with her sacrifice to end the family curse for good.
    — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 10 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
  • Wisconsin only falls one spot after being competitive with Notre Dame for more than a half.
    — Chris Vannini, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • When the baseline is agreed early, each new agent inherits it, and the cost and risk of every additional deployment falls rather than rising.
    — Krishnaveni Palanivelu, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of falls
Verb
  • Immediately afterward, a second microwave pulse flips the atom into the opposite state, so the superposition that’s flying upward changes into magnetically blind one, and starts falling under gravity with no other forces influencing it.
    — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2026
  • And in fairness, there was a cognizant effort to keep Ohtani as rested as possible, including a season-long six-man rotation and an attempt to maneuver Ohtani’s starts to line up on games prior to a team off day, when possible.
    — Katie Woo, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of starts
Verb
  • 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
  • This leaves the king with only one living son, Prince Yeongan, who quickly begins to show signs of mortal peril and also passes away mid-way through the series.
    — Kayti Burt, Time, 17 July 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

Browse Nearby Words

kicks in
kicks off
kicks out
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Kicks off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kicks%20off. Accessed 12 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of hobnob

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Popular

See More

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

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
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
funny guinea pig in glasses reading a book
Challenging Words You Should Know Vol 2 Words to the wise
See All