Meaning & use
kickoff
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Meanings
nouncountable
The moment a soccer or football game begins, when one team kicks the ball to start play.
Grammar: Countable; usually used with the definite article: the kickoff, or at kickoff.
Patterns
- at kickoff
- the kickoff of something
The kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. local time.
Fans filled the stadium well before kickoff.
He scored just two minutes after kickoff.
nouncountable
The start of an event, activity, or project.
Grammar: Often used with 'the' and followed by 'of': the kickoff of the campaign.
Patterns
- the kickoff of something
- a kickoff event
The kickoff of the new semester is next Monday.
They held a kickoff meeting to discuss the project timeline.
The campaign's kickoff drew a large crowd.
Word forms
| plural | kickoffs |
|---|
Common combinations
- kickoff meeting
- We scheduled a kickoff meeting for the new project.
- kickoff event
- The kickoff event for the festival will be a concert.
- at kickoff
- The teams were tied at kickoff.
- the kickoff of
- The kickoff of the school year is always exciting.
Synonyms and how they differ
- start
- More general and can refer to any beginning; 'kickoff' is more specific to sports or organized events.
- beginning
- Neutral and broad; 'kickoff' often implies a formal or ceremonial start.
- commencement
- Formal; used for ceremonies, while 'kickoff' is informal and energetic.
Opposites
Word family
- kick off verb
- To start a game or event; written as two words.
Commonly confused: kickoff or kickback?
kickoff vs kickback
A kickback is a payment made secretly and illegally, not the start of something.
Practice
The _____ of the conference will be a keynote speech by a famous scientist.
Choose one answer.
'Kickoff' means the start of an event. 'Kickback' is an illegal payment, 'kickstand' is a support for a bike, and 'kickboxing' is a sport.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “kickoff”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.