1
as in to debate
to give serious and careful thought to
the board spent the afternoon kicking around the feasibility of opening an overseas office
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to play
to spend time in aimless activity
I really can't do much but kick around at work until I get the rest of the submissions
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to kill time
to spend time doing nothing
spent the afternoon kicking around, while his wife bought out the mall
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to roam
to move about from place to place aimlessly
after spending a year in Europe kicking around, the backpacker was ready to return home
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in to abuse
to inflict physical or emotional harm upon
children who were raised by an alcoholic father who regularly kicked them around
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of kick around
The backstory: The idea has been kicking around Trumpworld for several months, as the transition considered structural changes at the White House to prioritize staffing for Trump's priorities.
—
Mike Allen, Axios, 26 Nov. 2024
But honestly, that title is the last word Trump should be kicking around in public these days.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 19 Oct. 2024
Prescott is played by the ten-year-old Tom Sweet, a first-time actor who was spotted by casting agents while kicking around a soccer ball with his friends in London.
—Alexandra Schwartz, The New Yorker, 13 Dec. 2024
The idea of a solid-state transformer has been kicking around in academia and industry for years.
—IEEE Spectrum, 11 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for kick around
Mike Allen, Axios, 26 Nov. 2024
But honestly, that title is the last word Trump should be kicking around in public these days.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 19 Oct. 2024
Prescott is played by the ten-year-old Tom Sweet, a first-time actor who was spotted by casting agents while kicking around a soccer ball with his friends in London.
—Alexandra Schwartz, The New Yorker, 13 Dec. 2024
The idea of a solid-state transformer has been kicking around in academia and industry for years.
—IEEE Spectrum, 11 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for kick around
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kick around
Verb
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The ghosts debate the nature of China’s modernity, the struggle between Confucian and Legalist traditions, and the influence of Japanese versus European ideas on the New Culture Movement.—
Philip Tinari,
Artforum,
1 Mar. 2025
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The science on transgender procedures, including hormone replacement and surgery, is hotly debated.—
Brady Knox,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
1 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Players who for years were starved for the chance to play meaningful games on behalf of their country now would be able to face-off for international bragging rights.—
Greg Rosenstein,
NBC News,
21 Feb. 2025
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Vaccination rates might also be playing a role, Brull said.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA TODAY,
20 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Stray cats are all over the nation, roaming people's backyards and sometimes redistributing themselves to a new home.—
Krystal Nurse,
USA TODAY,
28 Feb. 2025
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About 1,800 pandas live in the wild, roaming mountain ranges in the Chinese provinces of Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu, WWF says.—
Chris Lau,
CNN,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The suit alleged Combs raped, drugged and physically abused her, the latter claim being supported by a 2016 hotel video obtained and released by CNN last year of the music producer dragging and hitting the singer.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA TODAY,
20 Feb. 2025
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While fentanyl is not widely abused in Mexico, methamphetamine addiction is commonplace.—
Greg Wehner,
Fox News,
19 Feb. 2025
Verb
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But the combination clearly worked; Corky, who had a wry sense of humor, was endlessly entertained by his wife.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Mar. 2025
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Most Inspirational Documentary Our favorite 2024 documentary that inspired, educated, and entertained the whole family.—
DeVonne Goode,
Parents,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
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While Mark and Helly were fooling around, Helly wasn’t fulfilling her promise to go get the directions Irving left tucked behind Dylan’s motivational poster.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
21 Feb. 2025
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Louie's owner's TikTok account is full of the dog up to mischief, digging in the garden with his owner, watching TV, playing fetch, fooling around in the snow, and undergoing training.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
5 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Thirty years earlier, in 1995, on the weekend before Quebec’s second referendum on independence, my family and I went to Montreal to wander the city, to try to sense what Quebeckers were feeling, but mostly just to be there.—
Ken Dryden,
The Atlantic,
23 Feb. 2025
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This baby seal was found wandering the snowy streets of New Haven, Conn.—
The Learning Network,
New York Times,
21 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Hamas has shown little appetite to take apart its military wing or send its Gaza leaders into exile.—
Aaron Boxerman,
New York Times,
19 Feb. 2025
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The restoration took roughly a year: The car was completely taken apart and put back together with new or refurbished parts, including the engine and wood panels that made up much of the frame.—
Tom Huddleston Jr.,
CNBC,
7 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Kick around.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kick%20around. Accessed 6 Mar. 2025.
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