as in to trigger
to cause to function
his obscene comment touched off a heated debate about the need for censorship on live broadcasts
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Recent Examples of touch off
The bill is touching off opposition — not for redeveloping the trash-to-energy plant — but for again stoking up controversy that has surrounded a push in recent years to close and redevelop the airport.
—
Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 4 May 2025
The selloff on Tuesday extended a days-long market decline touched off by U.S. tariffs imposed last week on Canada, Mexico and China, some of which were delayed.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 11 Mar. 2025
The invasion touched off demonstrations on campuses across the United States.
—Kalyan Singhal, Baltimore Sun, 5 May 2025
The stories went viral, touching off tens of thousands of angry comments from users who were equally perplexed and dismayed over the loss of any piece of the city's already meager urban canopy.
—Vanessa Romo, NPR, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for touch off
Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 4 May 2025
The selloff on Tuesday extended a days-long market decline touched off by U.S. tariffs imposed last week on Canada, Mexico and China, some of which were delayed.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 11 Mar. 2025
The invasion touched off demonstrations on campuses across the United States.
—Kalyan Singhal, Baltimore Sun, 5 May 2025
The stories went viral, touching off tens of thousands of angry comments from users who were equally perplexed and dismayed over the loss of any piece of the city's already meager urban canopy.
—Vanessa Romo, NPR, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for touch off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for touch off
Verb
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Even minutes of downtime can erode market trust, invite regulatory scrutiny and trigger systemic consequences.—
Srikanth Bellamkonda,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
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That passage marked the start of more frequent financial warnings from Dimon, including worries of a recession — which didn’t happen until the 2020 pandemic triggered a two-month contraction — as well as concerns around market meltdowns and the ballooning U.S. deficit.—
Hugh Son,
CNBC,
30 May 2025
Verb
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In other words, for reasons still not fully understood, the robot’s yawn may have activated a biological response in the chimpanzees that led them to associate the gesture with sleep or rest.—
Mack DeGeurin,
Popular Science,
5 June 2025
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None of them had their body cameras activated, a violation of department policy.—
Shira Moolten,
Sun Sentinel,
5 June 2025
Verb
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Bryant’s comments have sparked debate online, highlighting the continuing tension between inclusivity campaigns in major sports and the personal beliefs of current and former players.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
3 June 2025
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Madeleine went missing on May 3, 2007, while on holiday with her family in the Algarve town of Praia da Luz, sparking a frenzied search and gaining the attention of the world’s media.—
Reuters,
CNN Money,
3 June 2025
Verb
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Goldstein drove Boozer home with a sacrifice fly and Corral plated the go-ahead run with a single through the right side.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 June 2025
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Sundowns’ success has also arguably been good for South Africa, helping drive new standards, develop players and coaches, and change perceptions about what is possible for clubs from the continent when investment is made available.—
Simon Hughes,
New York Times,
7 June 2025
Verb
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Soon after 10:45 am local time, Sunny set off to the sky for the first time, kicking off a new era of her life, the organization confirmed on Facebook.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
3 June 2025
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For example, nitrogen particles set off the magenta or purple-red waves as seen in this photo.—
Robert Z. Pearlman,
Space.com,
2 June 2025
Verb
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At 43, this might look like a driver nearing the twilight of his career; the undeniable talent behind the wheel that powered him to two world titles, and within a handful of points of another three, finally starting to wane.—
Luke Smith,
New York Times,
31 May 2025
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Meanwhile, Blue Origin inked a deal with United Launch Alliance to supply a version of its New Glenn main engine to power that company's Vulcan rocket.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
30 May 2025
Verb
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From roaring rockers to thoughtful ballads, Coldplay's range keeps the show moving The show started in daylight after a hot, sunshiny day in Northern California.—
Marco della Cava,
USA Today,
2 June 2025
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The two new fire stations, plus the new fire department headquarters that is set to hold a relocated Fire Station 4, are being moved at the recommendation of a 2021 plan that looked to lower emergency response times.—
R. Christian Smith,
Chicago Tribune,
2 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Touch off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/touch%20off. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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