1
: a kick that puts the ball into play in a football or soccer game
the opening kickoff
2
: the start of something : commencement
the campaign kickoff
kicked off; kicking off; kicks off
1
: to start or resume play in football by a placekick
2
a
: to initiate proceedings
b
: to start out : begin
the movie kicks off with a bank robbery
3
slang
: die
: to mark the beginning of
kick off the campaign
Examples of kickoff in a Sentence
Noun
At his campaign kickoff, the senator gave a passionate speech about combating poverty.
His speech marked the kickoff of his campaign.
Verb
I'll kick off the discussion on ethics with this question.
surprisingly, the recluse was worth a cool million when he kicked off
Recent Examples on the Web
Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
Three agents and two vehicles took the CFO and three staff members to the Hard Rock Stadium nearly 14 miles southwest in time for kickoff for the Dolphins-Baltimore Ravens game, the email said.
—Jeffrey Schweers, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 May 2026
Brenton Blanchet, PEOPLE, 23 May 2026
The 2026 Cannes Film Festival kicked off on May 12 and concludes on Saturday.
—Julia Teti, Footwear News, 22 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for kickoff
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show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
Those include the creation of the Sunday Night Soccer package, the allowance of more daytime kickoffs in colder-weather markets, and most recently the erasure of the MLS Season Pass package in favor of making the entire match inventory available for all Apple TV+ subscribers.
—Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
Three agents and two vehicles took the CFO and three staff members to the Hard Rock Stadium nearly 14 miles southwest in time for kickoff for the Dolphins-Baltimore Ravens game, the email said.
—Jeffrey Schweers, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 May 2026
Verb
The episode kicks off with Danny suiting up in his new BPD uniform, as he's tasked with going on a ride-along with his son Sean (Mika Amonsen).
—Brenton Blanchet, PEOPLE, 23 May 2026
The 2026 Cannes Film Festival kicked off on May 12 and concludes on Saturday.
—Julia Teti, Footwear News, 22 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for kickoff
Cite this Entry
“Kickoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kickoff. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
kickoff
1 of 2 noun
kick·off
ˈkik-ˌȯf 
: a kick that puts the ball into play (as in soccer or football)
kick off
2 of 2 verb(ˈ)kik-ˈȯf
1
: to make a kickoff
2
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