kick back
Idioms-
Recoil unexpectedly and violently, as in This rifle kicks back a lot when you fire it . [Early 1800s]
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Return stolen property to the owner, as in The pawnbroker kicked back the paintings to the gallery . [ Colloquial ; first half of 1900s]
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Pay back a part of one's earnings, as in The workers were forced to kick back half their pay to the agent . [ Colloquial ; first half of 1900s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
That obsession has made it hard for Woodin to just kick back and relax on Saturdays.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
To help you kick back, I’d humbly suggest:
From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026
Featuring large windows throughout, the property gets ample natural light—while the sun-soaked patio space provides another charming area for guests to relax and kick back.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 23, 2026
It’s been a while coming, but investors might actually be able to kick back and relax heading into the weekend.
From Barron's ● Apr. 17, 2026
I dug a shoe in to accommodate for the kick back and bent at the knee, just like Miig had showed me.
From "The Marrow Thieves" by Cherie Dimaline
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
