kick back
Idioms-
Recoil unexpectedly and violently, as in This rifle kicks back a lot when you fire it . [Early 1800s]
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Return stolen property to the owner, as in The pawnbroker kicked back the paintings to the gallery . [ Colloquial ; first half of 1900s]
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Pay back a part of one's earnings, as in The workers were forced to kick back half their pay to the agent . [ Colloquial ; first half of 1900s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
I keep thinking they will kick back into life, but they actually seem to be getting worse.
From BBC • Dec. 19, 2024
“Now it’s time for our hydraulic Atlas robot to kick back and relax,” the company said.
From New York Times • Apr. 17, 2024
You can kick back and read it, stroll down memory lane with photos or sit it out and let it look gorgeous on your coffee table.
From Salon • Dec. 1, 2023
For an extra cooling effect, refrigerate the eye patches and kick back as they work their magic.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 1, 2023
I wanted to kick back against a tree and just be.
From "The Season of Styx Malone" by Kekla Magoon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
