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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of touch off
In the ensuing Panthers’ power play, the Canadian squad turned its attention to Matthew Tkachuk as a pair of Oilers ganged up on the winger behind the Edmonton net, touching off another round of pushing and shoving.
—
Kevin Dotson, CNN Money, 10 June 2025
The fighting there was touched off by Russia's annexation of Crimea and subsequent fomentation of a separatist revolt against Kyiv in the Donbas region.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 15 May 2025
Accepting a lavish gift from the Persian Gulf nation makes even some stolid Trump allies queasy because of Qatar’s record of abuses against its Shiite Muslim minority and its funding of Hamas, the militant group whose attack on Israel touched off a prolonged war in the region.
—Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2025
The famous ride and an ensuing battle at Lexington and Concord touched off the American Revolution.
—Ari Daniel, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for touch off
Kevin Dotson, CNN Money, 10 June 2025
The fighting there was touched off by Russia's annexation of Crimea and subsequent fomentation of a separatist revolt against Kyiv in the Donbas region.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 15 May 2025
Accepting a lavish gift from the Persian Gulf nation makes even some stolid Trump allies queasy because of Qatar’s record of abuses against its Shiite Muslim minority and its funding of Hamas, the militant group whose attack on Israel touched off a prolonged war in the region.
—Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2025
The famous ride and an ensuing battle at Lexington and Concord touched off the American Revolution.
—Ari Daniel, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for touch off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for touch off
Verb
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The first red flag of the session was triggered after Oliver Bearman lost some of the bodywork of his Haas.—
Saajan Jogia,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 July 2025
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That, in turn, will trigger a future automatic benefit cut of 24% to all recipients, the centrist think tank projects.—
Ben Adler,
USA Today,
5 July 2025
Verb
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The couple successfully activate the code and crawl through a tunnel to freedom, only to discover that the entire city has been sealed inside the same black brick structures.—
Samantha Stutsman,
People.com,
11 July 2025
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The Network then will activate its many participants to collaborate and engage together to advance solutions and designs of new processes, or mechanisms, or even technologies that are needed to not only benefit each individual employer organization but also the overall talent ecosystem.—
Ryan Stowers,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
Verb
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The wildfire is believed to be sparked by human activity, but the precise event responsible for it has yet to be identified.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
9 July 2025
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The program currently supports 60,000 students in 57 counties, offering a great example of state leadership sparking local impact.—
Matt Gandal,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
Verb
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At its core, greed drives their pursuit of wealth and power.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
13 July 2025
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The incident, which occurred in June, is part of a growing trend of scams -- some of them driven by artificial intelligence -- targeting government officials and their staff through impersonation schemes.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
13 July 2025
Verb
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That month was when scientists reported that the earth’s temperature had suddenly begun not just to climb but to spike—the days around the solstice were the hottest ever measured, setting off a run of record-smashing heat that continues to this day.—
Bill McKibben,
New Yorker,
9 July 2025
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With personal tutor Bjorn (Michael Cera) in tow, the trio set off on a globetrotting adventure to achieve Korda's epic mission.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
Verb
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Step into the rhythm of the day with ESSENCE PRESENTS: THE COLLECTIVE SET—an immersive sonic experience powered by today’s most exciting DJ crews and music collectives.—
Essence,
Essence,
7 July 2025
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Since launching in October 2024, Beauty Genius has powered more than half a million conversations.—
Jamie Gutfreund,
Forbes.com,
6 July 2025
Verb
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Neither of these steps will be easy: Hezbollah is under pressure from Lebanese officials and continues to suffer Israeli bombardment, and the new Syrian government, which is consolidating control over its territory, is hostile to Iran and has begun moving closer to Israel.—
MOHAMMAD AYATOLLAHI TABAAR,
Foreign Affairs,
8 July 2025
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As the storm moves away, this likelihood decreases.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
8 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Touch off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/touch%20off. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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