1
as in contemplating
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 playing
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 hanging (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 wandering
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 abusing
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 kicking around
According to Hamel, who shared a demonstration of the lifelike robot earlier this year, Somers had been kicking around the idea for decades with inventor Ray Kurzweil.
—
Karu F Daniels, Mercury News, 22 Oct. 2025
Originally from Asheville, North Carolina, Forsberg has been kicking around Pittsburgh for a hair more than a decade now.
—Wilder Davies, Bon Appetit Magazine, 13 Oct. 2025
Of course, that’s not the only hack kicking around this week.
—PC Magazine, 10 Oct. 2025
Outdoor fitness Fun activities like shooting hoops, playing pickleball or kicking around a soccer ball are fantastic ways to build fitness and boost your health.
—Nora Colomer
May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 7 Oct. 2025
There are a number of great kitchenware deals kicking around, including markdowns on nonstick and stainless steel cookware, air fryers, Keurigs, and immersion blenders.
—Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 3 Oct. 2025
Karu F Daniels, Mercury News, 22 Oct. 2025
Originally from Asheville, North Carolina, Forsberg has been kicking around Pittsburgh for a hair more than a decade now.
—Wilder Davies, Bon Appetit Magazine, 13 Oct. 2025
Of course, that’s not the only hack kicking around this week.
—PC Magazine, 10 Oct. 2025
Outdoor fitness Fun activities like shooting hoops, playing pickleball or kicking around a soccer ball are fantastic ways to build fitness and boost your health.
—Nora Colomer
May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 7 Oct. 2025
There are a number of great kitchenware deals kicking around, including markdowns on nonstick and stainless steel cookware, air fryers, Keurigs, and immersion blenders.
—Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 3 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kicking around
Verb
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Louise Hémon The jury would also like to acknowledge a director whose film transported us into an extreme landscape, and created an unsettling atmosphere that kept us contemplating the nature of lust, education, and violence.—
Christian Blauvelt,
IndieWire,
24 Oct. 2025
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But the old flivver was ticking along, reminding Drew of happy hours—leaning on opposing fenders under its hood with Lloyd, contemplating the Dart’s latest ailment.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Despite playing before halftime, Scheierman and Walsh were not put back on the court again until the final seconds.—
Jay King,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
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Investigators pointed to a March 23, 2023, game involving Rozier, then playing for the Charlotte Hornets.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Deliberate mind wandering, where people give themselves the freedom to drift off-subject, allowing their thoughts to take a different course.—
Liz Regalia,
Parents,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Rich Hill's wandering journey through the Major League Baseball landscape is truly unique.—
Jon Paul Hoornstra,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Ticketmaster is trying to address the lawsuit filed by the Federal Trade Commission with several moves intended to block scalpers from abusing the platform.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
21 Oct. 2025
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In March, Virginia Giuffre accused her husband of abusing her and her family later told several media outlets that the couple were engaged in a custody battle.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The Forest owner has been pondering his options That is not unusual — the Greek shipping magnate always likes to have a plan B in place.—
Paul Taylor,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
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That’s 16 days of public silence and private plotting — 16 days of preparing for a case management conference and pondering motions and strategizing for the discovery process and delving into every facet of this year-long case that has no end in sight.—
Jon Wilner,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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While some dogs were found roaming around the house, others were in cages.—
Caroline Neal,
Louisville Courier Journal,
22 Oct. 2025
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From the Mercury and Gemini missions to the drama of Apollo 13, the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, and the robotic explorers roaming Mars, NASA's history is packed with daring feats and scientific firsts.—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry,
Space.com,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Before the game, manager John Schneider called for Dodger fans not to boo him, considering how much time had passed.—
Nelson Espinal,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Oct. 2025
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At least one student at the student body meeting considering the chapter objected to TPUSA's values, according to left-wing blog Fight Back!—
Anders Hagstrom,
FOXNews.com,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Gisin hopes that by fooling around with measurements of these more exotic states, physicists will come to better understand the role of measurement in general.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
8 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Kicking around.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kicking%20around. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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