kickoff
Americannoun
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Football. a place kick or a drop kick from the 40-yard line of the team kicking at the beginning of the first and third periods or after the team kicking has scored a touchdown or field goal.
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Soccer. a kick that puts a stationary ball into play from the center line of the field at the start of a quarter or after a goal has been scored.
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the initial stage of something; start; beginning.
the campaign kickoff.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of kickoff
First recorded in 1855–60; noun use of verb phrase kick off
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.
Around kickoff time, Sillie said, his cellphone texted a seismic alert.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 30, 2026
The store, hyping the kickoff sale, valued the collection at $200,000 and called it one of the world’s largest private Star Wars Lego collections.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 26, 2026
Five hours before kickoff, after spending the morning celebrating with fellow fans before attending the team parade, Wright received an email from StubHub informing him that his tickets couldn’t be transferred.
From Slate • Jun. 24, 2026
As kickoff approached, disagreements over coaches, administrators, politics and player selections gradually faded.
From Barron's • Jun. 21, 2026
Minutes before the kickoff, Gaines called the team around him in the stadium dressing room.
From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger
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.
