kick off
Britishverb
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to start play in a game of football by kicking the ball from the centre of the field
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informal to commence a discussion, job, etc
noun
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a place kick from the centre of the field in a game of football
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the time at which the first such kick is due to take place
kickoff is at 2.30 p.m
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informal
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the beginning of something
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to begin with
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Start, begin, as in They kicked off the celebration with a parade . This term alludes to starting play by kicking the ball in soccer, football, and similar sports. [Mid-1800s]
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See kick in , def. 2.
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.
Major U.S. banks, which kick off their earnings on Tuesday, have exposure to AI in their capital markets and lending activities.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
Next Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee will kick off a two-day confirmation hearing for Blanche’s nomination; he’ll need every single Republican member to vote for him before his nomination can go before the full Senate.
From Slate ● Jul. 9, 2026
Tech strength helped push U.S. stocks higher to kick off a week that will challenge investors’ appetite for the artificial-intelligence trade.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
That appeal was denied early Monday, about seven hours before the game was to kick off.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2026
So with computers on the way and honor codes being drawn up, I’m going to kick off our diary with a special visit from two people who have been immortalized in Anne Frank’s diary.
From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers
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.
