kick around

verb

kicked around; kicking around; kicks around

intransitive verb

1
: to wander or pass time aimlessly
2
a
: to lie about mostly unnoticed or forgotten
b
: to undergo consideration usually intermittently over a period of time
ideas that have been kicking around for years

transitive verb

1
: to treat in an inconsiderate or high-handed fashion
2
: to consider, examine, or discuss from various angles

Examples of kick around in a Sentence

the board spent the afternoon kicking around the feasibility of opening an overseas office I really can't do much but kick around at work until I get the rest of the submissions.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
After breakfast, Rick and Amrita bid each other fond adieu, but that man is still kicking around Samui. Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 9 Mar. 2025 So it’s been kicking around in his imagination for many, many years. Lynette Rice, Deadline, 26 Feb. 2025 He was being kicked around by his father on the stage. Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2025 Between the lines: The political landscape this time around is far more complex, with a greater appetite for drastic spending and headcount reductions, as well as a proposal that's kicked around Congress to make NOAA an independent agency. Andrew Freedman, Axios, 5 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for kick around

Word History

First Known Use

1839, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of kick around was in 1839

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Kick around.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kick%20around. Accessed 19 Mar. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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