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
Jay Ginsbach, Forbes, 15 Dec. 2024
The Jackson State Tigers (11-2) and South Carolina State Bulldogs (9-2) meet Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, with kickoff set for noon ET on ABC.
—Stephan Pechdimaldji, Newsweek, 14 Dec. 2024
Tim Ryan, Newsweek, 18 Dec. 2024
With organisations also competing for serious cash in the club championship, Reichert is expecting many to sign chess players before the event kicks off to hopefully earn some extra club championship points.
—Mike Stubbs, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for kickoff 
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Noun
Any additional player props updated Sunday ahead of kickoffs.
—Jay Ginsbach, Forbes, 15 Dec. 2024
The Jackson State Tigers (11-2) and South Carolina State Bulldogs (9-2) meet Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, with kickoff set for noon ET on ABC.
—Stephan Pechdimaldji, Newsweek, 14 Dec. 2024
Verb
Harvick is set to continue with broadcast coverage in the 2025 season, kicking off with the prestigious Daytona 500.
—Tim Ryan, Newsweek, 18 Dec. 2024
With organisations also competing for serious cash in the club championship, Reichert is expecting many to sign chess players before the event kicks off to hopefully earn some extra club championship points.
—Mike Stubbs, Forbes, 18 Dec. 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 25 Dec. 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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