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.
Kickoff between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 8, 2026
Kickoff is 7 p.m. for all three games.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 10, 2025
The NFL doesn’t have to go huge in the Kickoff Opener to get big TV numbers, but the league will do so with this year’s marquee matchup: Dallas at Philadelphia.
From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2025
Kickoff times and television broadcasting channels for Washington’s first three games of the 2024 football season were announced by the Big Ten on Thursday, including the Apple Cup against Washington State in Seattle.
From Seattle Times • May 30, 2024
Kickoff was in 50-degree temperatures, driving rain and a coastal flood warning for the Chester, Pa., area.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 9, 2024
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.
