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
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
Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 14 May 2025
Soledad memorial hosts two events honoring military The Mount Soledad National Veterans Memorial in La Jolla hosted both the Carry the Load USA relay and the Honor Ride, the kickoff for the Run for the Wall 35th-anniversary motorcycle ride, on May 10.
—Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 May 2025
Mario Manca, Glamour, 4 May 2025
After kicking off last June as part of Fête de La Musique in Paris, Wales Bonner brought the event to New York on Saturday ahead of her Met Gala debut on Monday.
—Leigh Nordstrom, Footwear News, 4 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for kickoff
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Noun
Sources: The #Giants’ home opener will be in Week 3 on Sunday Night Football — September 21 vs. the #Chiefs on NBC, with kickoff at 8:20 ET.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 14 May 2025
Soledad memorial hosts two events honoring military The Mount Soledad National Veterans Memorial in La Jolla hosted both the Carry the Load USA relay and the Honor Ride, the kickoff for the Run for the Wall 35th-anniversary motorcycle ride, on May 10.
—Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 May 2025
Verb
Before kicking off her new world tour, Lady Gaga sets a new record: with 2.5 million people in attendance, her show on Brazil' Copacabana Beach is reportedly the biggest independent concert by a female artist ever.
—Mario Manca, Glamour, 4 May 2025
After kicking off last June as part of Fête de La Musique in Paris, Wales Bonner brought the event to New York on Saturday ahead of her Met Gala debut on Monday.
—Leigh Nordstrom, Footwear News, 4 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for kickoff
Cite this Entry
“Kickoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kickoff. Accessed 18 May. 2025.
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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