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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to die
slang
to stop living
surprisingly, the recluse was worth a cool million when he kicked off
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of kick off
Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 1 May 2026
The ability to track your child's reading progress will begin June 1, the day the program kicks off.
—Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 1 May 2026
Michael Schneider, Variety, 21 Apr. 2026
Jonathan David headed Juventus into an early lead, within 90 seconds of kickoff.
—ABC News, 19 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for kick off
Verb
SwimShow, the swim and resort wear trade show, will return to the Miami Convention Center from May 30-June 1 to kick off Miami Swim Week.
—Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 1 May 2026
The ability to track your child's reading progress will begin June 1, the day the program kicks off.
—Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 1 May 2026
Noun
The Dodger Stadium kickoff will include other moments besides the drone show to mark the show’s 25th anni, with additional details to come.
—Michael Schneider, Variety, 21 Apr. 2026
Jonathan David headed Juventus into an early lead, within 90 seconds of kickoff.
—ABC News, 19 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for kick off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kick off
Verb
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Construction will begin this summer on a new weight room that should help.—
Rick Armstrong,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The greatest tornado potential is centered on Sunday over Kansas, where strong storms are expected to begin firing off around noon local time on Sunday, ahead of the severe weather developing later in the afternoon.—
Kyle Reiman,
ABC News,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Alfredrick Hughes, Loyola’s all-time leading scorer who helped the Ramblers end a 16-year NCAA Tournament drought during his All-America senior season, died Friday.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
3 May 2026
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Game 7 is where tall tales begin and dreams die.—
John Romano,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 May 2026
Noun
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While the discourse was less frequent at the beginning of her weight-loss journey, the rise of GLP-1s has meant that more people are flocking to her page to commiserate and strategize.—
Laya Neelakandan,
CNBC,
2 May 2026
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How can the Magic miss 23 straight shots at the end of the third quarter and the beginning of the fourth?—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 May 2026
Verb
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Carolyn Hax started her Washington Post advice column in 1997, after five years on the Style desk and none as a therapist.—
Carolyn Hax,
Washington Post,
15 May 2026
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Musk left OpenAI’s board in 2018, and five years later started xAI as a competitor, before merging that business with SpaceX in February.—
Ashley Capoot,
CNBC,
2 May 2026
Verb
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Right-hander Roki Sasaki strengthened his case Saturday with a quality start, despite some hiccups, as the Dodgers fell 3-2 to the Cardinals, extending their losing streak to four games.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
3 May 2026
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Jupiter Jupiter, as darkness falls, will be roughly one-third up from the western horizon to the point directly overhead.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
2 May 2026
Noun
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For example, Harvard University's commencement exercises will be held on Thursday, May 28.—
Gabe Hauari,
USA Today,
1 May 2026
-
Games 6 and 7, if needed, would be played at Independence Community Ice and would be closed to the public because of limited capacity — those games cannot be played at Cable Dahmer Arena due to a scheduling conflict with local high school commencement ceremonies.—
The Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
1 May 2026
Verb
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Since the season commenced in Australia in March, the F1 WAGs have made their presence known as they've been seen alongside their partners in the paddock and cheering from the stands during races.—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
29 Apr. 2026
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Earlier this year, the company announced a publishing administration partnership with 16-time Grammy Award-winner — and Variety’s Hitmakers 2025 songwriter of the year — Bruno Mars, commencing upon the completion of his current deal with BMG/Warner Chappell.—
Andrew Flanagan,
Variety,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Indeed, emerging evidence suggests that early detection and aggressive treatment of psychiatric symptoms may improve long-term outcomes by delaying the onset of clinical neurodegeneration and mitigating the cumulative biological stress that accelerates brain aging.—
Eric J. Nestler,
STAT,
28 Apr. 2026
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Now, three years after the initial onset of symptoms, Mollie uses a wheelchair and crutches daily and was forced to move in with their father.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Kick off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kick%20off. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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