1
as in contemplated
to give serious and careful thought to
the board spent the afternoon kicking around the feasibility of opening an overseas office
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in played
to spend time in aimless activity
I really can't do much but kick around at work until I get the rest of the submissions
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in hanged (around or out)
to spend time doing nothing
spent the afternoon kicking around, while his wife bought out the mall
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in roamed
to move about from place to place aimlessly
after spending a year in Europe kicking around, the backpacker was ready to return home
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in abused
to inflict physical or emotional harm upon
children who were raised by an alcoholic father who regularly kicked them around
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of kicked around
The club had kicked around the idea of Suárez and Nola sharing an outing, but it was made official on Monday night after a gut-wrenching Game 2 loss.
—
Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
Other ideas kicked around over the years have been subsidized housing or even returning it to its history of entertainment, as a high-end theater and performing arts academy.
—Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Sep. 2025
The idea of an independent misconduct authority has been kicked around by the industry since the Noel Clarke scandal four years ago, but its existence has become more pressing amid a string of power abuse crises involving the likes of MasterChef presenter Wallace and ITV chef Gino D’Acampo.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2025
Peralta leaders had kicked around the idea for years but avoided discussing it in concrete terms, with bureaucratic tangles often getting in the way.
—Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 23 Aug. 2025
Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
Other ideas kicked around over the years have been subsidized housing or even returning it to its history of entertainment, as a high-end theater and performing arts academy.
—Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Sep. 2025
The idea of an independent misconduct authority has been kicked around by the industry since the Noel Clarke scandal four years ago, but its existence has become more pressing amid a string of power abuse crises involving the likes of MasterChef presenter Wallace and ITV chef Gino D’Acampo.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2025
Peralta leaders had kicked around the idea for years but avoided discussing it in concrete terms, with bureaucratic tangles often getting in the way.
—Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 23 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kicked around
Verb
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Disney has contemplated some intriguing twists for the NFL extravaganza.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
22 Oct. 2025
-
This has been long-contemplated in American literature.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Tewes, who had played cruise director Julie McCoy, since the series debuted in 1977, returned for a handful of episodes in the dramedy's final two seasons in 1986 and 1987.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Oct. 2025
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This came to a head for one of the show's stars, Lauren Tewes, who played cruise director Julie McCoy.—
Angela Andaloro,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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AlUla has morphed from a sleepy archaeological site into Saudi Arabia’s adventure playground over the past decade, where visitors revel in raves and practice sunrise yoga in the same valley the Nabataeans once roamed.—
Mohammed Sergie,
semafor.com,
24 Oct. 2025
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Parasites have roamed the Earth for a long time.—
Regina G. Barber,
NPR,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The former president has bristled at the suggestion that his administration abused the autopen, defending himself in a July 13 New York Times interview.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
28 Oct. 2025
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The lax rules are being abused by people using services like Suno and Udio, where anyone can make an AI song that attempts to mimic a real artist in a matter of seconds.—
Bobby Allyn,
NPR,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Both downtown Janesville and the city's south side are considered food deserts due to a lack of accessible grocery stores with affordable, fresh produce options.—
Anna Kleiber,
jsonline.com,
27 Oct. 2025
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The chance of precipitation is less than 20%, which is considered a slight chance.—
Cheryl Vari,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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My thoughts wandered from one subject to another without continuity.—
Bill Shaber,
Outdoor Life,
22 Oct. 2025
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The unidentified body, which is believed to be a female, was found by a rancher searching for livestock that had wandered off, officials told WFAA.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Naroditsky's death at age 29 outraged his supporters in the chess world, who said he'd been bullied relentlessly by Kramnik, a former world champion who has accused many players of cheating in online play.—
Jason Abbruzzese,
NBC news,
22 Oct. 2025
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The case centered on allegations that O’Brien had bullied colleagues and made racially insensitive remarks.—
State House News Service,
Boston Herald,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Republicans have refused to entertained negotiations on health care policy, arguing the health care subsidies should be debated by Congress after the shutdown is over.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
24 Oct. 2025
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Whatever the case, those watching Zeena’s behavior on the clip were undoubtedly entertained by her response to the situation.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Kicked around.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kicked%20around. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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