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
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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Recent Examples of kick off
Shaddi Abusaid, AJC.com, 20 Mar. 2026
Season three kicks off with Valerie Cherish starring in Chicago on Broadway.
—Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 20 Mar. 2026
Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 15 Mar. 2026
Just two months ahead of his Together, Together tour kickoff, and one week after crashing Ryan Gosling’s SNL monologue, Harry Styles is pulling double duty as Saturday Night Live host and musical guest.
—Erin Lassner, HollywoodReporter, 14 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for kick off
Verb
What is typically a joyous holiday meant to kick off the Persian new year feels drastically different this year as many in Atlanta’s Iranian community worry about the safety of their relatives overseas.
—Shaddi Abusaid, AJC.com, 20 Mar. 2026
Season three kicks off with Valerie Cherish starring in Chicago on Broadway.
—Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 20 Mar. 2026
Noun
The tribute served as the kickoff for the heartfelt In Memoriam portion of the evening’s celebration, where the industry honors those who died in the last year.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 15 Mar. 2026
Just two months ahead of his Together, Together tour kickoff, and one week after crashing Ryan Gosling’s SNL monologue, Harry Styles is pulling double duty as Saturday Night Live host and musical guest.
—Erin Lassner, HollywoodReporter, 14 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for kick off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kick off
Verb
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Richins, wearing a white blouse with pale blue and peach-colored flowers on it, looked down and began breathing heavily when the verdict was announced.—
Emily Mae Czachor,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026
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All three hits came Michael Lorenzen, who Italy manager Francisco Cervelli originally announced as the team’s starter for the semifinal before changing course and having Aaron Nola begin the game on the mound.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Twenty-three immigrants have already died in custody in the current fiscal year, putting it on pace to surpass the previous one, which had the highest number of deaths in immigration detention in decades.—
Jonathan Blitzer,
New Yorker,
15 Mar. 2026
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He was transported to a nearby hospital and died from his injuries on March 10, officials said.—
Jeff McDonald,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Since the beginning of March, Fort Lauderdale police have issued more than 1,000 traffic citations and made 38 arrests, with 10 of those being spring breakers.—
Bri Buckley,
CBS News,
21 Mar. 2026
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Nowruz, the Persian New Year, is a time of family, renewal, and the promise of fresh beginnings.—
Leila Gharagozlou,
CNN Money,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Sign up here to receive an email right as the chat is about to start.—
Carolyn Hax,
Washington Post,
27 Mar. 2026
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The fleet will start replacing the Navy’s aging Ohio-class submarines by the 2030s and will remain operational till 2084.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The team with the worst record can fall no lower than fifth in the draft while the team with the fourth-worst record can fall as far as eighth.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
15 Mar. 2026
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Midway through the third quarter, Ralston Valley pushed the ball in transition with the Jaguars falling slightly out of control.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
15 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But unlike Hoosier fans, who historically only filled Memorial Stadium for spring commencement ceremonies, Nebraska fans have remained hopelessly devoted to their chronically underperforming team.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
13 Mar. 2026
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Erika Kirk, the CEO of Turning Point USA and widow of its founder, Charlie Kirk, will be the 2026 commencement speaker at Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Michigan.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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To be considered for a grant, projects must have 90% of production finished and be in, or about to commence, the post-production phase.—
Arushi Jacob,
Variety,
17 Mar. 2026
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Now, writers are poised to commence another round of bargaining with the major studios on a new three-year film and TV contract.—
Cerys Davies,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Traffic through the strait has plummeted since the onset of the Iran war, as Iranian attacks cause the largest oil supply disruption in history.—
Josephine Rozzelle,
CNBC,
17 Mar. 2026
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In recent years, with the onset of more troubling and complexdoping sagas, WADA has gotten more involved in investigating doping allegations — a function that has largely been handled by the dozens of organizations that oversee the use of performance enhancers in certain countries and sports.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Kick off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kick%20off. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
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