kickoff

American  

[kik-awf, -of] / ˈkɪkˌɔf, -ˌɒf /

Or kick-off

noun

• kickoffs
  plural

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. the initial stage of something; start; beginning.

   the campaign kickoff.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• kickoffs
  plural

Etymology

Origin of kickoff

First recorded in 1855–60; noun use of verb phrase kick off

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

kickoff kickoffs

That starts in the fourth season’s kickoff, when Rebecca, Keeley and Higgins journey to Kansas City to re-recruit Ted.

From Salon ● Aug. 7, 2026

It was the kickoff event for Abdul El-Sayed’s biggest swing of rallies to date in what has become the country’s most-watched primary.

From Slate ● Jul. 30, 2026

Also lifting sentiment were banking giants JP Morgan, Citigroup, Bank of America, Goldman Sachs and Wells Fargo all reporting higher profits in the unofficial kickoff to second-quarter earnings season.

From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026

And by kickoff later that afternoon, Balogun was walking out of the tunnel alongside his teammates.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026

He had come back to the team in 1975 and returned a kickoff fifty yards in the Bluebonnet Bowl against Colorado.

From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger

While the matches drew protests against the Iranian regime, including some booing both times the national anthem was played before kickoffs, the crowds heavily favored and cheered loudly for the Iranian team.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026

“Field goals have got to go through the uprights, punts got to go outside the numbers with good hang time and kickoffs got to get on the ground just like any other game,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 17, 2026

That first season, the percentage of touchbacks on kickoffs plummeted because kickers couldn’t boot the ball as far.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2025

For afternoon kickoffs, a soft pretzel tray with mustard or cinnamon dip goes a long way.

From Salon ● Sep. 15, 2025

I’d been at campaign kickoffs, fund-raisers, and election-night parties.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama