kick off — start a conflict
phrasal verbC1IELTS 7+informaloccasional
to suddenly begin an argument, fight, or trouble, often in a lively or disruptive way.
Say it like a native
Textbook A violent altercation suddenly erupted outside the pub.
Native It all kicked off outside the pub.
'Kick off' (BrE slang) vividly means a fight or trouble suddenly broke out. The formal version is a news report.
Pattern: kick off (between/with/when + subject)
In use
- Things really kicked off when the two teams started arguing with the referee.conflict
- If the government fails to address the issue, protests could easily kick off across the country, leading to widespread unrest.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ They started to kick off the argument.
✓ They kicked off at each other. / It kicked off between them.
This sense is intransitive ('it kicked off') or 'kick off AT someone'. Don't use it transitively for 'start the argument'.
Common collocations
kick off— it all kicked off, at each other, outside, big time
Don't confuse it
Unlike the B1 sense ('to begin an event or activity'), this sense is figurative and refers specifically to the start of conflict or trouble, not just any event.
Related
- kick off (to begin an event or activity) — 'kick off' also has the more basic meaning 'to begin an event or activity'; this is the advanced sense.