kickoff

1 of 2

noun

kick·​off ˈkik-ˌȯf 

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

kick off

2 of 2

verb

kicked off; kicking off; kicks off

intransitive verb

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

transitive verb

: to mark the beginning of

kick off the campaign

Synonyms of kickoff

Noun

• beginning
• start
• commencement
• onset
• inception
• launch

Verb

• begin
• start
• commence
• fall (to)
• set about
• get off
• strike (into)
• get going
• open
• found

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

Noun

Healthcare deal kickoffs increased 32%, while industrials and energy each increased 25%. — Rusty Wiley, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026

Yolo County Supervisor Lucas Frerichs, Davis school board President Hiram Jackson and Davis Mayor Donna Neville all spoke in support of Measure W at a campaign kickoff event in July. — Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 1 Oct. 2026

Verb

The partnership is timed to celebrate the Christmas launch of the new HBO original TV series, which kicks off with the eight-episode season of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, and the opening of the Harry Potter Shop Oxford Street. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026

Rather than arenas, Smith is continuing the To Be Free global residency, which kicked off last fall at Brooklyn’s Warsaw and has included runs at San Francisco’s historic Castro Theatre, Mexico and the United Kingdom. — Lars Brandle, Billboard, 7 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1856, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1857, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Rhymes for kickoff

• ashraf
• checkoff
• cutoff
• falloff
• handoff
• layoff
• liftoff
• markoff
• markov
• payoff
• playoff
• runoff

Kids 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

: begin sense 1