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
Shimite Obialo, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2025
Parking will be free in Lot 5; the Ticketmaster gate opens at 12 p.m.
The 2025 MLS Regular Season begins on Saturday, Feb. 22 when the Revolution visit Nashville SC for an 8:30 p.m. kickoff.
—Boston Herald Staff, Boston Herald, 13 Feb. 2025
Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 10 Feb. 2025
The network kicked off the game by nodding to recent violence in New Orleans and the wildfires around Los Angeles.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 10 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for kickoff 
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Noun
Less than $2M in revenue and no funding beyond Series A
Participants must be able to commit to participation in monthly meetings, mentorship activities and travel to amika’s headquarters in Brooklyn, NY for the kickoff
9.
—Shimite Obialo, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2025
Parking will be free in Lot 5; the Ticketmaster gate opens at 12 p.m.
The 2025 MLS Regular Season begins on Saturday, Feb. 22 when the Revolution visit Nashville SC for an 8:30 p.m. kickoff.
—Boston Herald Staff, Boston Herald, 13 Feb. 2025
Verb
The celebration kicked off with speeches from city councilors and neighborhood leaders, followed by the lion, dragon and snake dances.
—Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 10 Feb. 2025
The network kicked off the game by nodding to recent violence in New Orleans and the wildfires around Los Angeles.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 10 Feb. 2025
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 22 Feb. 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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