Ambitransitive To make the first kick in a game or part of a game.
The players kick off for the third quarter and the clock starts.
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Ambitransitive, Idiomatic To start; to launch; to set in motion.
Let's kick off this project with a planning meeting.
The project kicked off with an energy-sapping meeting.
3 more examples
Not since Coventry in 1992 has a Premier League side kicked off a campaign with an all-English XI but things have reached the point where, of the 61 signings who have cost the elite division's 20 clubs a transfer fee this summer, only 12 have involved Englishmen.2013 August 19, Louise Taylor, “English talent gets left behind as Premier League keeps importing”, in The Guardian:
On Saturday the group kicked off a weekend of activity ahead of its summer uprising this week, which aims to disrupt five major UK cities and shock people into action against the climate crisis.2019 July 13, Nosheen Iqbal, “Extinction Rebellion kick off weekend of protest with Dalston blockade”, in The Observer:
To kick it all off, there's a street parade through the Todd Mall, followed by a full-day of competitions with a lolly scramble for the kids[.]2022 August 1, Off the Leash, Darwin, NT, page 6, column 1:
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To dismiss; to expel; to remove from a position.
I got kicked off the team after a string of poor performances
The washer was working fine until it kicked off in the middle of a cycle.
The circuit breaker, a power failure, and the e-stop button are the only things we can think of that might have caused that pump to kick off when it did.
The party kicked off when the third bottle of wine was opened.
I understood that I was missing out on a lot of his life and if the war really kicked off I was going to be gone for an even longer amount of time.2007, Robert Ortiz, A Walking Distance, AuthorHouse, →ISBN, page 177:
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US, Idiomatic, Slang To force the weaning of a bovine cow's calf by restricting the calf's access to its mother's udders, whether by literally kicking it away or another method.
A week after we kicked off her calf that cow was still bawling.
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UK, Colloquial, Idiomatic To be overcome with anger, to start an argument or a fight; to behave aggressively.
When she called him a drunk, it was the last straw. He just kicked off.
The chap opposite seems to be trying to pull a fast one, and having seen the guard is trying to buy a ticket online... but doesn't succeed. The guard helpfully sells him one, but not quite at the price of one purchased in advance. In fairness he doesn't kick off, nor does the guard treat him like some common criminal. It's a fair cop - or should that be a fare cop?2024 April 17, “Rural railways: do they deliver?”, in RAIL, number 1007, page 57:
Suddenly it all kicked off on the terraces as horrendous violence and disgraceful scenes were picked up by television cameras.2010, Kenny Sansom, To Cap It All, John Blake Publishing, →ISBN:
The atmosphere at Upton Park before kick-off reflected the palpable tension surrounding the club right now2011 January 11, Jonathan Stevenson, “West Ham 2 - 1 Birmingham”, in BBC:
Alcohol consumption following football matches is fuelling domestic abuse in the hours after a game, according to new evidence suggesting that changing kick-off times could help reduce violence.2021 July 4, Michael Savage, “Early kick-offs linked to more alcohol abuse and violence in the home”, in The Observer:
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Broadly The opening sequence of any event.
Duffy, 26, began a campaign for the 9th Suffolk district […] The crowd of approximately 50 people at his kickoff party was overwhelming composed of other young, white gay men.1990 February 4, Laura Briggs, “Gay Republican To Oppose Black Rep”, in Gay Community News, volume 17, number 29, page 3:
Darbishire glanced at the first manuscript. "This one’s pretty ribby for a kick-off. It’s Binns’ famous effort.”1952, Anthony Buckeridge, Jennings and Darbishire:
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Entertainment, Lifestyle, Music The opening sequence of notes in a song, usually played by the song's main instrument, to indicate the beginning of the song.