KICKS OFF Synonyms: 104 Similar and Opposite Words

kicks off

verb

present tense third-person singular of kick off

as in begins

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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as in dies

slang to stop living surprisingly, the recluse was worth a cool million when he kicked off

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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 kicks off By the time the Liverpool game kicks off, Jaissle will still have only been in Newcastle for a fortnight. — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026 The trek kicks off September 9 in Milwaukee and concludes a month later in Santa Ana, California on October 18. — Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 21 Aug. 2026 Inter Miami, seeking to end a four-game winless skid, kicks off a three-game homestand on Saturday against Toronto FC. — Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 21 Aug. 2026 The song, an ode to Sivan’s love and appreciation for women, especially transgender women, kicks off a new era for the singer following his 2023 album, Something to Give Each Other. — Jack Irvin, PEOPLE, 14 Aug. 2026 This event kicks off a rare series of three total solar eclipses within 372 days. — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026 The 174th annual Lake County Fair kicks off Friday with new vendors, concerts, a few booth location changes, and a moving performance during the first weekend, officials said. — Alexandra Kukulka, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026 Each year, the race kicks off in a new city, called the Grand Départ. — Jason Cohen, PC Magazine, 17 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for kicks off

Verb

Currently, free agency begins five days after the World Series, with no expiration on when players can sign.

— Evan Drellich, New York Times, 28 Aug. 2026
That window begins either with their first year in college or the year following their 19th birthday, whichever comes first.

— Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of begins

Verb

After the child dies, their shares revert to their surviving siblings while the grandchildren receive cash from the life insurance payout.

— Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
College grad dies hours after X2 Christopher Hawley, a 22-year-old recent college graduate, rode X2 in June of 2022 with his cousin and brother.

— Blake Ellis, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of dies

Verb

This tender novel of intimacy and its risks begins in Boston in 1969, as Eve, a dancer, commences an affair with a colleague—an indiscretion that spurs her husband, a journalist named Gabe, to cheat, too.

— The New Yorker, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
The Jet Set to the Beekman package commences with a Blade helicopter flight to Pier 11 in Lower Manhattan (from eligible departure points), where a house car will then take you to the Beekman’s West Turret penthouse.

— Spencer Whaley, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of commences

Verb

The company says its reactor’s electrical output falls within the range of a high-performance vehicle drivetrain.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 2 Sep. 2026
If Colorado’s 2027 first-round pick is not transferred to the Toronto Maple Leafs or if its 2028 first-round pick falls within the top 10, Nashville instead gets Colorado’s 2029 first-round pick.

— Peter Baugh, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of falls

Verb

The loan does not need to be repaid until the last borrower passes away, sells the home, or moves out for good, such as entering long-term care.

— Gary Singer, Sun Sentinel, 20 Aug. 2026
This leaves the king with only one living son, Prince Yeongan, who quickly begins to show signs of mortal peril and also passes away mid-way through the series.

— Kayti Burt, Time, 17 July 2026

Definition of passes away

Verb

That hearing is two days before LSU — the one SEC team known to be interested in signing such players — opens its season against Clemson.

— Seth Emerson, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
This week, just steps from the garden, Musée Yves Saint Laurent Marrakech (mYSLm), a 43,000-square-foot museum designed by the architectural firm Studio KO, opens its doors to the public.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of opens

Verb

In The Children, sister and brother Guinevere and Ennis grow up under the shadow of their mother, Edith Sharpe, whose Ninth City children’s book series transfixes the world until Edith perishes in a mysterious fire in Vermont.

— Hamilton Cain, Time, 7 July 2026
Every soldier Harry would have saved on a transport during the war perishes too.

— Margaret Heidenry, Vanity Fair, 24 Dec. 2025

Definition of perishes

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kicks in

kicks off

kicks out

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“Kicks off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kicks%20off. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of kicks off

verb

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