kickoff
1 of 2noun
kick·off ˈkik-ˌȯf 
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
kick off
2 of 2verb
kicked off; kicking off; kicks off
intransitive verb
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
transitive verb
: to mark the beginning of
kick off the campaign
Synonyms
Noun
- alpha
- baseline
- beginning
- birth
- commencement
- dawn
- day one
- genesis
- get-go
- git-go
- inception
- incipience
- incipiency
- launch
- morning
- nascence
- nascency
- onset
- outset
- start
- threshold
Verb
- begin
- commence
- embark (on or upon)
- enter (into or upon)
- fall (to)
- get off
- launch
- lead off
- open
- start
- strike (into)
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
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
Richard Obert, The Arizona Republic, 9 Sep. 2022 Isaac Guerendo had a 33-yard kickoff return to open the second half and scored on a 1-yard run in the fourth quarter. Jeff Potrykus, Journal Sentinel, 3 Sep. 2022 Findlay had few highlights in Friday’s 49-21 loss to Perrysburg, but one was a 100-yard kickoff return by Donovan Harris. Jonathan X. Simmons, cleveland, 30 Aug. 2022 But the Centurions had a 95-yard kickoff return for a TD nullified by a penalty. Terry Monahan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Aug. 2022 The game included a 97-yard kickoff return by Alabama RB commit and Buford star Justice Haynes. Ben Thomas | Bthomas@al.com, al, 19 Aug. 2022 As a freshman last season, Smith rushed for 1,841 yards (9.3 yards per carry) and scored 27 touchdowns (23 rushing, three receiving, one kickoff return). Jason Frakes, The Courier-Journal, 14 Aug. 2022 The versatile Tucker also had a career-high 426 receiving yards in 2021 and led the Bearcats in the return game last season, averaging more than 25 yards per kickoff return. Keith Jenkins, The Enquirer, 28 Mar. 2022 Desmond Howard, the first special teams MVP, scores on a 99-yard kickoff return to put away the Patriots. Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2022 Melissa Gira Grant, The New Republic, 6 Sep. 2022 Most recently, the mom of one stunned audiences with her portrayal of Aretha Franklin in Respect, and will kick off a daytime talk show this fall. Grace Gavilanes, Peoplemag, 4 Sep. 2022 So begins the new Daemon-Corlys alliance to take on the Crab Feeder and kick off the War for the Stepstones. Jordan Moreau, Variety, 28 Aug. 2022 The event will mark the season 24 premiere of SVU and kick off NBC's fall season. Nick Romano, EW.com, 24 Aug. 2022 Players will report to Owings Mills for training camp in late July and kick off their 2022 season Sept. 11. Jonas Shaffer, Baltimore Sun, 20 June 2022 While he was supposed to tour North America earlier this year, those dates were postponed and will now kick off on Aug. 2 in Minneapolis and wrap on Sept. 11 in Los Angeles. Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 13 June 2022 But the main draw of iHeartLand will likely be the main stage, which will kick off its series of events with a performance on Sept. 9 with Charlie Puth. J. Clara Chan, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Aug. 2022 Last week, President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law, which will kick off a suite of action on health care, taxes and climate change. Caitlin Looby, Journal Sentinel, 22 Aug. 2022 See More
Noun
Aundre Gibson had a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to spark the 2-0 Scorpions. Richard Obert, The Arizona Republic, 9 Sep. 2022 Isaac Guerendo had a 33-yard kickoff return to open the second half and scored on a 1-yard run in the fourth quarter. Jeff Potrykus, Journal Sentinel, 3 Sep. 2022 Findlay had few highlights in Friday’s 49-21 loss to Perrysburg, but one was a 100-yard kickoff return by Donovan Harris. Jonathan X. Simmons, cleveland, 30 Aug. 2022 But the Centurions had a 95-yard kickoff return for a TD nullified by a penalty. Terry Monahan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Aug. 2022 The game included a 97-yard kickoff return by Alabama RB commit and Buford star Justice Haynes. Ben Thomas | Bthomas@al.com, al, 19 Aug. 2022 As a freshman last season, Smith rushed for 1,841 yards (9.3 yards per carry) and scored 27 touchdowns (23 rushing, three receiving, one kickoff return). Jason Frakes, The Courier-Journal, 14 Aug. 2022 The versatile Tucker also had a career-high 426 receiving yards in 2021 and led the Bearcats in the return game last season, averaging more than 25 yards per kickoff return. Keith Jenkins, The Enquirer, 28 Mar. 2022 Desmond Howard, the first special teams MVP, scores on a 99-yard kickoff return to put away the Patriots. Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2022 Verb
Could viruses accomplish, or at least kick off, such a reordering? Melissa Gira Grant, The New Republic, 6 Sep. 2022 Most recently, the mom of one stunned audiences with her portrayal of Aretha Franklin in Respect, and will kick off a daytime talk show this fall. Grace Gavilanes, Peoplemag, 4 Sep. 2022 So begins the new Daemon-Corlys alliance to take on the Crab Feeder and kick off the War for the Stepstones. Jordan Moreau, Variety, 28 Aug. 2022 The event will mark the season 24 premiere of SVU and kick off NBC's fall season. Nick Romano, EW.com, 24 Aug. 2022 Players will report to Owings Mills for training camp in late July and kick off their 2022 season Sept. 11. Jonas Shaffer, Baltimore Sun, 20 June 2022 While he was supposed to tour North America earlier this year, those dates were postponed and will now kick off on Aug. 2 in Minneapolis and wrap on Sept. 11 in Los Angeles. Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 13 June 2022 But the main draw of iHeartLand will likely be the main stage, which will kick off its series of events with a performance on Sept. 9 with Charlie Puth. J. Clara Chan, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Aug. 2022 Last week, President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law, which will kick off a suite of action on health care, taxes and climate change. Caitlin Looby, Journal Sentinel, 22 Aug. 2022 See More Word History
First Known Use
Noun
1856, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb
1857, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1
Kids Definition
kickoff
noun
kick·off ˈkik-ˌȯf
: a kick that puts the ball into play (as in football or soccer)
kickoffs
noun
as in starts
the point at which something begins a political cycle in which an election marks not only the end of one campaign but also the kickoff for the next one Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- starts
- commencements
- inceptions
- beginnings
- onsets
- launches
- alphas
- baselines
- births
- inaugurations
- thresholds
- originations
- outsets
- mornings
- day ones
- geneses
- incipiencies
- nascencies
- incipiences
- git-goes
- infancies
- drawing boards
- nascences
- initiations
- dawns
- get-goes
- first bases
- arrivals
- origins
- wells
- openings
- institutions
- germs
- ground zeros
- fountains
- emergences
- square ones
- appearances
- childhoods
- debuts
- springs
- seedbeds
- roots
- cradles
- sources
- creations
- advents
- youths
- débuts
- fountainheads
- wellsprings
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- conclusions
- endings
- ends
- periods
- completions
- closes
- stops
- terminations
- closings
- closures
- finales
- finishes
- cessations
- omegas
- windups
- cathedral glass
- cathedrals
- cathedras
- cathedratic
- cathedratica
- cathedraticum
- cathepsin
- cathepsins
- Cather
- Catherine
- Catherine de' Médicis
- Catherine I
- Catherine II
- catherine of bra
- Catherine of Braganza
- Catherine wheel
- Catherine, Mount
- catherines
- catheter
- catheterisation
- catheterisations
- catheterise
- catheterised
- catheterises
- catheterising