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
kicked off; kicking off; kicks off
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
: to mark the beginning of
kick off the campaign
Synonyms
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
Oliver Thomas, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
Set for a 4:25 p.m. kickoff, the game carries massive weight, with first place in the NFC North at stake.
—Elissa Robinson, Detroit Free Press, 3 Nov. 2024
Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2024
The project won multiple development awards – kicking off with the Ibero-American Grant for Film Project Development – and touches on themes of role reversal and resilience.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for kickoff 
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Noun
The Chicago Bears host next Sunday’s 1 p.m. ET kickoff at Soldier Field.
—Oliver Thomas, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
Set for a 4:25 p.m. kickoff, the game carries massive weight, with first place in the NFC North at stake.
—Elissa Robinson, Detroit Free Press, 3 Nov. 2024
Verb
Meanwhile, Biden’s refusal to exit the 2024 presidential race after a disastrous initial debate performance in June kicked off a whirlwind season that gave rise to Harris.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2024
The project won multiple development awards – kicking off with the Ibero-American Grant for Film Project Development – and touches on themes of role reversal and resilience.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for kickoff
Articles Related to kickoff
Dictionary Entries Near kickoff
Cite this Entry
“Kickoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kickoff. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
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