kick in

verb

1. (intr) to start or become activated

2. informal,  (tr) to contribute

Idioms and Phrases

Contribute one's share, as in We'll kick in half if you take care of the rest . [ Colloquial ; c. 1900]

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 .

Begin to operate, as in Finally the motor kicked in and we could get started . This usage was first recorded in 1908.

Example Sentences

However, a Welsh Labour grandee said the party was facing "the biggest kicking in our history".

From BBC

I Know You'd Kill is a tribute to her manager, Charlie, whose protective instincts kicked in when a person on the fringes of Crookes' team began behaving in a way that made others "feel unsafe".

From BBC

"You just take it and then tough it out for the the next 20 minutes until it kicks in and then you're OK to train," revealed Jarrell-Searcy.

From BBC

For his part, Olly said he was proud to play a role in such a famous song, admitting he was nervous before the performance, but then "the adrenaline kicked in".

From BBC

Number eight Escudero was left to deal with a testing kick in behind only to touch the ball in flight before it went dead to give Ireland the scrum five metres out.

From BBC

Related Words

• ante up 
• donate 
• pony up