kicked around

verb

past tense of kick around
1
as in contemplated
to give serious and careful thought to the board spent the afternoon kicking around the feasibility of opening an overseas office

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2
as in played
to spend time in aimless activity I really can't do much but kick around at work until I get the rest of the submissions

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3
as in hacked (around)
to spend time doing nothing spent the afternoon kicking around, while his wife bought out the mall

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4
as in roamed
to move about from place to place aimlessly after spending a year in Europe kicking around, the backpacker was ready to return home

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5
as in abused
to inflict physical or emotional harm upon children who were raised by an alcoholic father who regularly kicked them around

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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 kicked around Since then, he’s kicked around with HAIM while turning one third of its Los Angelino triumvirate, Alana Haim, into a screen actress. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 2 Oct. 2026 Every single night, through that winter, spring and summer, Caldwell and Rothstein kicked around potential game situations and ideas for how to approach them. — Luca Evans, Denver Post, 7 Sep. 2026 No balls were kicked around, but a first impression was made about a pitch that’s cropped tighter than a Pebble Beach fairway yet in impressive shape after four games over 11 days. — Cam Inman, Mercury News, 25 June 2026 Near a door leading to a loading dock, a group of players on the host Vegas Golden Knights — including forward Mitch Marner, who went on to score a regulation hat trick in a 5-4 win — stood in a circle and kicked around a soccer ball. — Peter Baugh, New York Times, 8 June 2026 Fans draped themselves in Haitian flags and danced to upbeat compas music while children kicked around soccer balls at the small meet-and-greet. — CBS News, 30 May 2026 People were kicked around in the pit, pancaked at the front of the stage, and the crowd surfing had a 90% fail rate. — Deborah Sengupta Stith, Austin American Statesman, 17 Mar. 2026 The bestselling novelist specializes in women who have been kicked around by life. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2026 One of the ideas that has been kicked around is putting the playoff event in larger cities and more historic venues. — Bob Buttitta, Oc Register, 23 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kicked around
  1. contemplated
  2. played
  3. kicked back
  4. roamed
  5. abused
  6. considered
  7. fooled around
  8. relaxed
Verb
  • As contemplated, the city would initially sell one acre to the developers for the first phase of the project when the plans receive final approval.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The sponsor also assumes the risk that contemplated add-ons will not close.
    — Chris Russo, Sportico.com, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of contemplated
Verb
  • Husted played college football as a cornerback for the University of Dayton.
    — Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 26 Oct. 2026
  • But that doesn’t tell the full story either, as Seattle has played part of the season with backup Drew Lock and hasn’t yet lost by more than three points.
    — Scott Chasen, Kansas City Star, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of played
Verb
  • Under current rules, decisions from either the City Council or Planning Department can get kicked back and forth indefinitely.
    — Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
  • In one such report, a single tear-gas cannister kicked back was recorded as forty-four assaults.
    — Emily Witt, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of kicked back
Verb
  • While dinosaurs roamed the earth, giant monsters roamed the sea.
    — October 16, NPR, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Anti-drone netting is draped over streets where children once roamed freely.
    — Scott Peterson, Christian Science Monitor, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of roamed
Verb
  • The act also has been sorely abused and used as a tool to stop projects, particularly housing.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026
  • In 2023, the Illinois attorney general released a detailed report that identified 451 Catholic priests and religious brothers who the investigation found had abused at least 1,997 children across the state’s six Catholic dioceses.
    — Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of abused
Verb
  • Newsom is widely considered to be planning a presidential bid in 2028.
    — Andrew Graham October 27, Sacbee.com, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The first three often are considered the science prizes, and since their start in 1901, scientists in the United States have won 44% of those.
    — Mattanjah de Vries, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of considered
Verb
  • Not too long ago, artificial intelligence was more or less a science project in which data scientists and developers fooled around with one-off small or test projects.
    — Joe McKendrick, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Definition of fooled around
Verb
  • My entire goal was to stay as relaxed as possible and let the contractions keep doing the work—an extremely challenging task as the intensity continued to build.
    — Trinity Mouzon Wofford, Bon Appetit Magazine, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Silhouettes are becoming more considered, with wide-leg, barrel and relaxed straight fits driving demand.
    — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of relaxed

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kicked (about)
kicked around
kicked back
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Cite this Entry

“Kicked around.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kicked%20around. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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