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.
Retired US brigadier general Houston Cantwell, who has 400 hours of combat flight experience, said a pilot's training would likely kick in before he or she parachutes to the ground.
From Barron's • Apr. 4, 2026
This brings you up to your RMDs — so for the five years before those RMDs kick in, from ages 68 to 73, that $1,800 a month equates to withdrawals of $108,000.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026
She says it was "bit of a kick in the teeth" having to relocate from her home town because of housing.
From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026
The program singles out a list of industrial facilities for disfavor, setting a low threshold for the permitting requirements to kick in.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026
Now they waited for it to kick in.
From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri
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.
