1
as in considering
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 playing
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 hanging (around or out)
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 wandering
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 abusing
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of kicking around
Some of the finer moments for Nemes in the studio were during rehearsals, when the band was just kicking around ideas and jamming.
—
Tina Eves,
SPIN,
1 July 2026
All told, it’s been a pretty spectacular and drama-free rollout for an idea that had been kicking around Hollywood for over 15 years.
—
Josef Adalian,
Vulture,
18 June 2026
Husband and wife duo Cristina Marzolf and Matthew Marzolf, both 25, had been kicking around the concept of Press’d Cafe and Lounge, a family-friendly tropical escape that sells smoothies, juices and food for years.
—
Kansas City Star,
12 June 2026
There are a few great Star Wars arcade games still kicking around, but this one is my personal favorite.
—
Alex James Kane,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
Odenkirk and Kolstad have begun kicking around ideas for extending the character into an ongoing franchise.
—
Los Angeles Times,
15 Apr. 2026
Although the likes of the Go Go’s and the Cars are present at times, the soundtrack as a whole seems too staid to provide a backdrop for ’80s kids kicking around in the heyday of punk.
—
Gina Friedlande,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Apr. 2026
Both tracks — which had been kicking around since the Chinese Democracy sessions and were demoed even earlier — were finally released in December 2025 to coincide with GNR’s 2026 tour announcement.
—
Daniel Kreps,
Rolling Stone,
29 Mar. 2026
Like Prince William and Kate Middleton often do on sportier engagements, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex showed off their soccer skills, kicking around a ball on Wednesday.
—
Rachel Burchfield,
InStyle,
25 Feb. 2026
Tina Eves,
SPIN,
1 July 2026
All told, it’s been a pretty spectacular and drama-free rollout for an idea that had been kicking around Hollywood for over 15 years.
—
Josef Adalian,
Vulture,
18 June 2026
Husband and wife duo Cristina Marzolf and Matthew Marzolf, both 25, had been kicking around the concept of Press’d Cafe and Lounge, a family-friendly tropical escape that sells smoothies, juices and food for years.
—
Kansas City Star,
12 June 2026
There are a few great Star Wars arcade games still kicking around, but this one is my personal favorite.
—
Alex James Kane,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
Odenkirk and Kolstad have begun kicking around ideas for extending the character into an ongoing franchise.
—
Los Angeles Times,
15 Apr. 2026
Although the likes of the Go Go’s and the Cars are present at times, the soundtrack as a whole seems too staid to provide a backdrop for ’80s kids kicking around in the heyday of punk.
—
Gina Friedlande,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Apr. 2026
Both tracks — which had been kicking around since the Chinese Democracy sessions and were demoed even earlier — were finally released in December 2025 to coincide with GNR’s 2026 tour announcement.
—
Daniel Kreps,
Rolling Stone,
29 Mar. 2026
Like Prince William and Kate Middleton often do on sportier engagements, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex showed off their soccer skills, kicking around a ball on Wednesday.
—
Rachel Burchfield,
InStyle,
25 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kicking around
Verb
-
Why Overreaction Is Dangerous The immune analogy becomes especially useful when considering failure modes.
-
The Facebook parent is also considering selling raw computing capacity à la neocloud companies like CoreWeave, according to the report.
Verb
-
Win prizes playing interactive games, network with artists and entrepreneurs and enjoy signature drinks and bar snacks available for purchase.
-
Men leaders can pay attention to and be mindful of who in the workplace may be playing more of an emotional support role that falls outside their job description.
Verb
-
Here’s an outdoor lounge chair that naturally supports kicking back with a matching ottoman.
-
Instead of kicking back, most workers are delaying their flight from the nest thanks to an affordability crisis pinching the wallets of everyday Americans.
Verb
-
Outdoor experiences are just as compelling, from kayaking through mangroves at the Environmental Learning Center to wandering the lush landscapes of McKee Botanical Garden.
-
Two months ago, he was discovered wandering the San Francisco streets, blocks away from his typical habitat and suffering from severe malnutrition.
Verb
-
Witt claimed that Golubski — who in 2024 faced trial for allegations including terrorizing and abusing Black women in KCK for decades before killing himself the day it was scheduled to begin — also abused her late cousin, Elaine Greene.
-
The parents are also accused of abusing their 5-year-old daughter, who is also morbidly overweight, according to the complaint.
Verb
-
With a new album out this summer—her first in a decade—Madonna’s reemergence on the pop scene has left many of us contemplating her ultimate place in its firmament.
-
The embarrassing episode also amplified questions about whether, in fact, Alito is contemplating retirement, a possibility some court watchers had already been discussing.
Verb
-
Zeus did not approve of his daughter fooling around with this mortal roughneck hunter and put out a hit on Orion.
-
The transition was rough for Ansari, who wasn’t fluent in English and often got in trouble for fooling around in school.
Verb
-
President James Garfield’s assassin, Charles Guiteau, died by hanging about five months after he was convicted of murder.
-
In 2019, city employees began hanging about 500 trick-or-treat pumpkin buckets in the trees on Main Street every October.
Cite this Entry
“Kicking around.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kicking%20around. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
