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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in hacked (around)
to spend time doing nothing
spent the afternoon kicking around, while his wife bought out the mall
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in abused
to inflict physical or emotional harm upon
children who were raised by an alcoholic father who regularly kicked them around
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of kicked around
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
That bill's kicked around on the House's calendar for a few weeks now.
—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
13 Apr. 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
One of the things that have been kicked around is a one-time 5% tax on billionaires.
—
Nicole Nixon,
Sacbee.com,
6 Jan. 2026
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
That bill's kicked around on the House's calendar for a few weeks now.
—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
13 Apr. 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
One of the things that have been kicked around is a one-time 5% tax on billionaires.
—
Nicole Nixon,
Sacbee.com,
6 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kicked around
Verb
-
The effect of Greenspan’s artistry was to alter permanently the way the capital markets function, and to extend the Fed’s influence more deeply into the economy than Congress ever contemplated – and certainly far beyond any Constitutional remit.
-
Following the completion of her fifth season, Powell initially contemplated returning for a sixth year as a DCC — but ultimately decided to hang up her boots and retire.
Verb
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When Doncic played for the Dallas Mavericks and led them to the 2024 NBA Finals, his two centers — Derek Lively and Daniel Gafford — were exceptional in their roles as lob threats, blocking shots and rolling to the rim.
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The rivalry is so intense that overnight in Mexico, fans played instruments, sang, and made as much noise as possible outside the Ecuador team hotel to deprive the squad of sleep.
Verb
-
My mom kicked back in comfort with a good book.
-
Wash the Floor the Right Way Porch floors collect fine dust that gets kicked back into the air every time someone walks across them.
Verb
-
The age of sail, when pirates like Johnny Depp’s fictional Jack Sparrow roamed the seven seas, ended about 200 years ago.
-
Earlier this month, dozens of police officers, hunters and city officials were deployed in the city of Utsunomiya, north of Tokyo, to catch a bear that roamed the streets for four days, forcing mass school closures.
Verb
-
Bianca Graham, 30, of Astoria, abused her position at the Blythebourne Post Office in Borough Park to make some extra cash at the expense of 13 victims between August 2024 and August 2025, prosecutors say.
-
Seven years later, Leonard has abused an organization, alienated a fan base and basically collected nearly $300 million of Steve Ballmer’s money and burned it.
Verb
-
The court's 6-3 ruling, issued Tuesday, June 30, ensures that children born in the country are considered Americans.
-
Legislators last year updated the law to clarify that even if businesses don’t communicate directly but use algorithmic pricing software that leads to them charging a common rate, that could still be considered price-fixing.
Verb
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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.
Verb
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Olive oil in particular may turn cloudy or partially solidify when chilled, but will return to normal after 15 to 20 minutes at room temperature.
-
Spain’s answer to smoldering summer heat is the traditional vegetable soup called gazpacho served delightfully chilled.
Cite this Entry
“Kicked around.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kicked%20around. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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