kick off 1 of 2

verb

Definition of kick offnext
1
as in to begin
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
2
as in to die
slang to stop living surprisingly, the recluse was worth a cool million when he kicked off

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

kickoff

2 of 2

noun

ˈkik-ˌȯf How to pronounce kickoff (audio)
as in beginning
the point at which something begins a political cycle in which an election marks not only the end of one campaign but also the kickoff for the next one

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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 kick off
Verb
Press Play follows the 2025 release of LISA’S debut solo full-length, Alter Ego, and arrives just in time for the Thai singer’s upcoming Vegas residency that kicks off in November. — Kyle Denis, Billboard, 23 Oct. 2026 After a release-weekend show at Camp Flog Gnaw on November 14, the rapper-producer will kick off a full North American trek in Februrary, concluding some five weeks later in Vancouver. — Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 22 Oct. 2026
Noun
Kansas redshirt freshman Bryson Hayes fielded the kickoff at the 5-yard line with the Jayhawks trailing Kansas State 7-0 early in Saturday’s Sunflower Showdown at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 20 Oct. 2026 After nailing a 44-yard field goal in the first quarter, Grupe injured his right knee while tackling Cardinals kick returner Devin Duvernay at midfield on a 40-yard kickoff return. — ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for kick off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kick off
  1. begin
  2. die
  3. beginning
  4. start
  5. fall
  6. commencement
  7. commence
  8. pass away
Verb
  • By adjusting the distance between the tips, the team could stretch or compress the molecular structure, changing the voltage at which the current enhancement began.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
  • She eventually was promoted over to the ice cream machine—and began to grow fond of the adrenaline-like rush that can come with working in a restaurant.
    — Preston Fore, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of begin
Verb
  • Kate Whiteman, the woman who first filed a lawsuit against the men, died in late 2025 at age 45 in Australia.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Rent played its first preview off-Broadway, at the New York Theatre Workshop, on January 25, 1996—the same day that Jonathan Larson, its 35-year-old composer and librettist, died suddenly at his home in Manhattan.
    — Vogue, Vogue, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of die
Noun
  • Clocks are advanced ahead one hour at the beginning of daylight saving time, in March, and clocks are moved back one hour in November when returning to standard time.
    — Hannah Poukish, Sacbee.com, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The married owners—Ingrid Rivas, an agronomist, and Radamés Arroyo, an engineer—first began developing the 25-acre property by cultivating Tahiti limes, and the name Hacienda Verde Tahití later became a tribute to those agricultural beginnings.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of beginning
Verb
  • Charlotte has many more chances to right its wrongs, of course, starting with home games Saturday and Monday.
    — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2026
  • And one health care consultancy that finds doctors and mental health care for wealthy families charges retainers starting at $30,000 for 50 hours.
    — Molly A. Wallace, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of start
Verb
  • In most cases where the acquirer is en route to paying a price amounting to a humongous PE, the acquirer’s stock falls.
    — Shawn Tully, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The Orionid meteor shower creates one of the most brilliant displays in the night sky each fall — but this year’s celestial event may have a dimmer showing due to a bright moon.
    — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of fall
Noun
  • Their achievement is worthy of commencement speakers from the local, state and federal level — including Nancy Pelosi.
    — Noel Brennan, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The city’s post came shortly after Butker delivered a commencement speech on May 14, 2024, at Benedictine College.
    — Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of commencement
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 commence
Verb
  • His wife of more than 60 years, Betty Green, passed away in 2019.
    — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The special also weaves together threads about Harouni’s Arab heritage, a surprising family DNA test, and the death of the show’s director Adam Brace, who passed away suddenly during its creation.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of pass away

Browse Nearby Words

kicking upstairs
kick off
kickoff
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Cite this Entry

“Kick off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kick%20off. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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