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 
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.
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 22 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share