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.
It's got that sort of like, “Relax, kick back, and just keep it on in the background” appeal.
From Salon • Feb. 9, 2025
Asked if he can now kick back and enjoy Monday's draw, Davidson cracked a smile.
From BBC • Feb. 9, 2025
It can kick back in if the numbers go above 2,500 a day, on average, in a given week.
From New York Times • Jun. 4, 2024
“But if they’re just watching all they need is a tall glass of iced tea. ”That was Bob’s thing,” he said, “get some iced tea and kick back and watch.”
From Seattle Times • May 10, 2024
I try to rappel, kick back and swing, but I’m not very good.
From "Paradise on Fire" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
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.
