kick in
verb
kicked in; kicking in; kicks in
1
: to begin operating or having an effect : get started
waiting for the heater to kick in
2
: to make a contribution
3
slang
: die
Examples of kick in in a Sentence
if everyone in the department kicks in, we can give him an especially nice present for his retirement
the ornery cuss finally kicked in at the ripe old age of 90
Recent Examples on the Web
The whole ship plunged briefly into darkness, before the emergency power system kicked in.
—
Kocha Olarn, CNN Money, 20 Mar. 2026
When that already-muddy path to fulfillment sees our brash heroine grappling with blackmail, her resilience kicks in with a scene-stealing spirit.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 20 Mar. 2026
But a sweeping new state law, SB 12, that banned diversity, equity and inclusion activity in K-12 schools, such as referencing LGBTQ identities in conversations, had just kicked in.
—Milla Surjadi, Dallas Morning News, 19 Mar. 2026
The top rate of 20% kicks in for those with incomes higher than that.
—Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for kick in
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Kocha Olarn, CNN Money, 20 Mar. 2026
When that already-muddy path to fulfillment sees our brash heroine grappling with blackmail, her resilience kicks in with a scene-stealing spirit.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 20 Mar. 2026
But a sweeping new state law, SB 12, that banned diversity, equity and inclusion activity in K-12 schools, such as referencing LGBTQ identities in conversations, had just kicked in.
—Milla Surjadi, Dallas Morning News, 19 Mar. 2026
The top rate of 20% kicks in for those with incomes higher than that.
—Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for kick in
Cite this Entry
“Kick in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kick%20in. Accessed 23 Mar. 2026.
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