kick in
Britishverb
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(intr) to start or become activated
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informal (tr) to contribute
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Contribute one's share, as in We'll kick in half if you take care of the rest . [ Colloquial ; c. 1900]
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Also, kick off . Die, as in No one knows when he'll kick in , or He finally kicked off yesterday . [ Slang ; first half of 1900s] Also see kick the bucket .
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Begin to operate, as in Finally the motor kicked in and we could get started . This usage was first recorded in 1908.
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.
Such a challenge, if successful, could give retailers a short reprieve until legislation External link kicks in next year to remove the exemption.
From Barron's
The Hurricanes missed yet another kick in the third quarter before eking out a 10-3 lead with under two minutes to play.
California’s “mutual aid” policy kicked in and flooded Los Angeles with fire crews from other cities and states.
The economy could show improvement in 2026, however, as the trade wars die down, more tax cuts kick in and businesses ramp up investment in artificial intelligence, analysts say.
From MarketWatch
The company stepped up imports before tariffs kicked in April, and after that was also able to get its suppliers to share some of the burden.
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.
