kicking off

verb

present participle of kick off
1
as in beginning
to take the first step in (a process or course of action) I'll kick off the discussion on ethics with this question

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dying
slang to stop living surprisingly, the recluse was worth a cool million when he kicked off

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 off After overwhelming demand for tickets, Duff announced new dates through November 2027, kicking off in Madrid in May 2027 and wrapping in Anaheim, California, next November. — Katie Atkinson, Billboard, 30 Sep. 2026 The Chiefs defeated the 49ers 31-20 in Super Bowl LIV, kicking off Kansas City’s dynasty. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 24 Sep. 2026 In September 2023, the American Woman actress was photographed walking the red carpet at the Vogue World Show, kicking off London Fashion Week. — Kelsie Gibson, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2026 The start of the 2026-27 Premier League season is one week away, with the first game, Arsenal vs Coventry City, kicking off next Friday. — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026 The San Francisco 49ers begin their quest for a sixth Super Bowl title on Thursday, kicking off the 2026 preseason with a matchup against the Tennessee Titans at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. — Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026 That means kicking off with the sacred mountain where shamans perform mudang rituals, the spiritual tradition at the heart of the storyline, and then using that inspiration to step into the soundproof studio to put your vocal chops to the test. — Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 6 Aug. 2026 The new school year is closing in fast, which means the race to check off all of those academic necessities is kicking off now. — Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 22 July 2026 On Sunday night, Hermès celebrated Into the Horsecape, its latest high jewelry collection (called haute bijouterie at Hermès), designed by Pierre Hardy, with a lavish dinner at Musée des Arts Décoratifs, kicking off the week. — Laure Guilbault, Vogue, 10 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kicking off
  1. beginning
  2. dying
  3. commencing
  4. falling
  5. starting
  6. checking out
  7. getting off
  8. passing away
Verb
  • Young professionals often have multiple financial priorities, such as beginning to invest, paying off student loans, employee benefits, buying a first home, and saving for a wedding or starting a family.
    — Kate Dore, CFP®, EA,Kelli Grant, CFP®, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Korean star Han Ji-min accepted The Hollywood Reporter’s Trailblazer Award at a glitzy gala high above Busan on Wednesday night, promising that her creative journey was only just beginning.
    — Mathew Scott, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of beginning
Verb
  • Inspectors also observed a dying adult cockroach on the floor nearby, two live adult cockroaches on a glue stick in a storage room, and a dead adult cockroach near the employee restroom entrance.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The police do not record victims by race, but in a majority Black country with violence clustered in the townships, the map tells you who is dying.
    — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of dying
Verb
  • The film will shoot on location at the heart of Pendle in Lancashire, with principal photography commencing end of September.
    — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 14 Sep. 2026
  • The fourth-round tie will not be played until the week commencing October 26.
    — Simon Johnson, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of commencing
Verb
  • People have moved so aggressively along the learning curve that those challenges are falling by the wayside.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Paired with an all-leather ensemble, pants and pointed-toe pumps included, the hair screamed ’80s rom-com star, the curls falling toward her face in a single swift motion.
    — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of falling
Verb
  • And starting next year, the league wants to introduce a form of re-seeding in the playoffs.
    — Evan Drellich, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Katseye member Sophia Laforteza will resume activities with the group starting the first week of January 2027, according to a notice posted to their social media accounts.
    — Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of starting
Verb
  • All the deals over at Dell are worth checking out right now, but especially the Alienware 16 Aurora laptop.
    — Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 8 Sep. 2026
  • I'mPhaedra Trethan, checking out my colleague Trevor Hughes' Mad Max-Dune-steampunk visions from Burning Man.
    — Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of checking out
Verb
  • Meanwhile, Kyler Murray’s return gives the Vikings a boost against a Bucs defense that has had problems getting off the field.
    — Hank Gola, New York Daily News, 25 Sep. 2026
  • In August, when service was disrupted, Brannon sat on the train for more than three hours before getting off and requesting an Uber, which costs significantly more money.
    — Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of getting off
Verb
  • For her part, Lily Renée continued drawing comics for many years after Rio’s retirement and was inducted into the Will Eisner Hall of Fame in 2007 before passing away in New York in 2022, at the age of 101.
    — Gaby Iori October 7, Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Her sister had been through cervical cancer and two bouts of breast cancer before passing away from the disease.
    — Ayren Jackson-Cannady, SELF, 29 May 2026
Definition of passing away

Browse Nearby Words

kicking in
kicking off
kicking out
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Cite this Entry

“Kicking off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kicking%20off. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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