kick at the can

noun

An attempt or an opportunity.

Similar
kick at the cat
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Meanings

nounkick at the can (plural kicks at the can)

plural kicks at the can

  1. CanadaUSidiomaticslangAn attempt or an opportunity.

    "We're now in a situation where you get just one kick at the can," Mr. Elderfield said.

    2005 June 17, Carol Vogel, “The Modern Buys 'Rebus'”, in New York Times, retrieved 13 Feb 2014
    2 more examples

    He figured that Canadian political leaders got only two kicks at the can, and he'd now had both of his.

    2011, Paul Litt, Elusive Destiny: The Political Vocation of John Napier Turner, →ISBN, page 389

    How many companies get the chance to flail around for 6 years and then get a second kick at the can?

    2012 January 20, Eric Jackson, “In Defense of Jerry Yang”, in Forbes, retrieved 13 Feb 2014

    Synonyms: kick at the cat

verbkick at the can (third-person singular simple present kicks at the can, present participle kicking at the can, simple past and past participle kicked at the can)

present singular third person kicks at the can · participle present kicking at the can · participle past kicked at the can · past kicked at the can

  1. CanadaUSidiomaticslangTo make an attempt; to try.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounAn attempt or an opportunity.

Similar
kick at the cat
Also see
kick at the cat
Cite this entry
APA

kick at the can. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kick%20at%20the%20can

MLA

“kick at the can.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kick%20at%20the%20can. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “kick at the can,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kick%20at%20the%20can.

Source: kick at the can on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.