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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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
Meanwhile, the very early hours of July 7 and 8 will see a close conjunction of a last quarter moon and Saturn in the east, kicking off relatively moonless conditions for the following 10 nights or so. — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 3 July 2026 The Bicentennial year kicked off with Super Bowl X in January, when the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Dallas Cowboys in Miami. — Kyler Alvord, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026
Noun
Even as kickoff neared, the auditorium was moderately filled. — Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 2 July 2026 He was charged with possession of child pornography in 2018 and hosted his campaign kickoff in front of an elementary school. — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 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
  • Friends of both Swift and the Kansas City Chiefs football star tight end began arriving mid-afternoon in a steady stream of SUVs.
    — Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 4 July 2026
  • Nunez said investigators planned to interview an employee who was working at the business when the blaze began.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 4 July 2026
Definition of begin
Verb
  • That would give the planet more time to drift outward as the dying sun sheds its outer layers into space, potentially avoiding engulfment altogether.
    — Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 8 July 2026
  • The obvious gem of the collection is the attention-getting title story, about the Canadian Nobel laureate Alice Munro, who died in 2024 — and whose complex, layered short fiction Aviv admires.
    — Julia M. Klein, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
Definition of die
Noun
  • More than 73,000 Palestinians have died in Gaza according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, which doesn’t distinguish between civilian and militant deaths, including more than 1,000 killed since the beginning of the latest ceasefire.
    — Steve Peoples, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
  • Johnson Products Company — which would later go on to manufacture Ultra Sheen, Classy Curl, Curly Perm and men’s cologne line Black Tie — was made from humble beginnings, grit and a revolutionary product idea.
    — Michelle Lee, PEOPLE, 7 July 2026
Definition of beginning
Verb
  • Available cruises on Legend currently start at $773 per person based on double occupancy, including taxes and fees, according to Royal Caribbean’s website.
    — Nathan Diller, USA Today, 6 July 2026
  • El Niño is expected to prolong an existing unrelated marine heat wave that would otherwise typically start fading between October and December, scientists say.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
Definition of start
Verb
  • The woman fell about 1,500 vertical feet, from around 12,000 feet to about 11,500 feet.
    — Daniel S. Levine, PEOPLE, 2 July 2026
  • The report will also provide insight into whether American workers’ paychecks are falling further behind inflation.
    — Rachel Barber, USA Today, 2 July 2026
Definition of fall
Noun
  • Those commencement boos came from a young generation that has watched AI reframe entry-level work as inefficiency, seen generative content flood the visual landscape, and built their own creative identities through friction and craft.
    — Reid Litman, Fortune, 5 July 2026
  • There is a reason some students booed commencement speakers who mentioned AI this graduation season.
    — Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026
Definition of commencement
Verb
  • Carlson, whose rights Anaheim traded to Carolina four days before the free agent signing period commenced, joins a defense corps that includes Victor Hedman, who is one year younger and has played five more career regular season games.
    — Tom Layberger, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • Early-stage discussions of regulation have also commenced in Brazil, Canada, China, Ecuador, Ghana, India, Peru, Norway, the United Kingdom and the remainder of the European Union.
    — Jennifer Bringle, Footwear News, 29 June 2026
Definition of commence
Verb
  • Sadly, that latter group earns a new radio hit in America at nearly the same time that frontman and co-founding member Victor Willis passed away.
    — Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026
  • Sarah finally passed away in 1998, six months after her son Lloyd’s death.
    — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 3 July 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 8 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of kick off for Spanish Speakers

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