1
as in complains
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely
he's been kicking all week about not getting the promotion
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in objects
to present an opposing opinion or argument
fiscal conservatives have already started to kick about the proposed program, claiming it will increase the state's deficit substantially
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in thrills
a pleasurably intense stimulation of the feelings
I get a kick out of downhill skiing
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2
as in joys
a source of great satisfaction
it was a kick for the parents to see their once-shy son star in a Broadway play
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in objections
a feeling or declaration of disapproval or dissent
nowadays there seem to be few words in the dictionary that do not raise a kick from one person or another
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in collisions
a forceful coming together of two things
I felt a kick in my hands as the jackhammer came roaring to life
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of kicks
Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025
Tali kicks Jonah a few times before Martine arrives to take him away.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Oct. 2025
Skye herself has almost no distinguishing characteristics besides her fragile state and propensity for terrible decisions, especially as the investigation around her boyfriend’s death kicks into gear.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 17 Oct. 2025
Miami field goal After each team exchanges punts, Miami’s Carter Davis kicks a 41-yard field goal to get UM back within four of Louisville.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2025
But the chaos that kicks hot Jupiters inward would most likely strip away their satellites, according to David Kipping, an exomoon-hunting astronomer at Columbia University.
—Nola Taylor Tillman, Scientific American, 13 Oct. 2025
Everyone on the base calmly kicks into gear.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 6 Oct. 2025
The starting configuration kicks down the CPU and memory but maintains 1TB of storage, opting for a Ryzen Z2 with 16GB of RAM for $1,099.
—Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 2 Oct. 2025
This is the kind of guy who kicks down a door and busts somebody’s kidney with a crowbar.
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 1 Oct. 2025
Jordan Julian, InStyle, 9 Jan. 2026
Harris has also blocked a total of six kicks, which is one away from tying the all-time SEC record.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Jan. 2026
Kickers missing essential kicks.
—Chris Bumbaca, USA Today, 5 Jan. 2026
Aubrey started 16-for-16, but proved to be human, missing six kicks after that.
—Joseph Hoyt, Dallas Morning News, 5 Jan. 2026
Physical bullying happens when a child hits, kicks, trips, pushes, chokes or otherwise hurts another child.
—Dr. Mahvash Madni, Boston Herald, 4 Jan. 2026
In the meantime, get your kicks at these legendary Texas stops on Route 66.
—Pam Leblanc, Southern Living, 3 Jan. 2026
Also in the Rams’ spotlight is Mevis, who was brought in to supplant Joshua Karty after the Stanford product’s missed 5-of-15 field-goal attempts and three point-after kicks this season.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2025
Asked if the technique of the new dynamic kickoff was impacting Karty’s timing and approach on field goals and extra points, Blackburn didn’t rule out the possibility and admitted the team had asked punter Ethan Evans to do kickoffs the last two games to allow Karty to focus on his kicks.
—Adam Grosbard, Oc Register, 7 Nov. 2025
Verb
Blue swapped out his designer kicks for regular cleats for practice the next day.
—Noun
The number one best-selling tennis shoes on Amazon, these classic kicks have a retro-chic vibe that’ll never go out of style.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for kicks
Verb
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At one point, Hujar complains about a call from the artist Ed Baynard.—
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The president calls his wife and complains about the sole of his shoe before heading off to a girls’ basketball event with Angel Reese.—
Verb
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The Common Council member whose district includes Bay View objects to that petition.—
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Objects of this size are referred to as planetesimals — objects similar in size to many of the asteroids and comets in our solar system but much smaller than a dwarf planet like Pluto.—
Noun
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More advanced skiers and snowboarders can seek their thrills in Huckleberry Bowl near the resort’s summit, famous for deep powder in its ungroomed areas.—
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An overreliance on tools weakens our civilization (and saps the film’s dramatic thrills).—
Noun
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Both trains offer luxury journeys that encourage passengers to partake in the joys of slow travel.—
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But one of the biggest joys for the couple is how FreshCo is evolving into a true family business.—
Noun
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This approval was granted despite objections from more than 30 consumer advocacy groups that warned the system lacked proper safety testing.—
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The filmmaker’s claim of innocence became a cause célèbre in Italy, leading to diplomatic pressure to transfer him, despite fierce objections by the Miami-Dade state prosecutors who convicted him.—
Noun
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Blockers and tacklers were also forbidden from moving until the ball was caught, or touched the ground, reducing the number of full-speed collisions.—
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As satellite constellations grow, global cooperation is essential to avoid collisions and ensure effective space traffic management.—
Verb
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Left to die, breathless and alone, Invisigal chokes while Robert screams from the other end of the comms.—
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That stretch screams points, and the wise move might be to start planning your route to Salah.—
Verb
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Walz is asking anyone who protests to do so in a peaceful way.—
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Iran protests over collapsing economy spread to universities Iranian authorities offered conciliatory gestures in a bid to stem growing protests over the country’s collapsing economy.—
Cite this Entry
“Kicks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kicks. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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