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.
However, just over two weeks until Scotland kick off their tournament schedule against Haiti in Boston, Clarke has committed to another four years in charge.
From BBC • May 28, 2026
But this year felt different for some, after the abrupt cancellation of the Long Beach Pride Festival hours before it was set to kick off.
From Los Angeles Times • May 17, 2026
But just as the extravaganza is set to kick off, many New Jerseyans are viewing their hosting duties less as an honor and more as a costly burden they could do without.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2026
They are due to kick off their World Cup campaign against New Zealand in Los Angeles on 15 June, before facing Belgium in the same city and then Egypt in Seattle, in Group G.
From Barron's • May 16, 2026
He heard the afterburner of the jet kick off, the plane bank to the right and fade like a sliver of light into a blue sky.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
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.
