as in to trigger
to cause to function
his obscene comment touched off a heated debate about the need for censorship on live broadcasts
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of touch off
And Queen was forced to take an off-balance shot that required a perfect touch off the glass to redirect into the hoop.
—
Scott Thompson, Fox News, 24 Mar. 2025
The dispute touched off after the groups left the basketball game.
—Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 20 Mar. 2025
The original bail reform bill Cuomo signed in 2019 touched off New York City’s regression toward the bad old days when people feared to walk the streets or ride the subways.
—Maud Maron, New York Daily News, 20 Mar. 2025
The president’s moves to upend federal bureaucracy touch off fear and confusion.
—Chris Haxel Pat McCusker, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for touch off
Scott Thompson, Fox News, 24 Mar. 2025
The dispute touched off after the groups left the basketball game.
—Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 20 Mar. 2025
The original bail reform bill Cuomo signed in 2019 touched off New York City’s regression toward the bad old days when people feared to walk the streets or ride the subways.
—Maud Maron, New York Daily News, 20 Mar. 2025
The president’s moves to upend federal bureaucracy touch off fear and confusion.
—Chris Haxel Pat McCusker, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for touch off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for touch off
Verb
-
But yeah, maybe she’s been a vegetarian this whole time and the proteins triggered something!—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Apr. 2025
-
Png predicts that a potential global recession resulting from the tariffs would be of a similar scale to the 2008 global financial crisis, which triggered an 18-month Great Recession and the worst global economic downturn since the Great Depression.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Every morning, guests can watch as the Chronos opens the portals by lining them up and activating them.—
Samantha Neely,
USA Today,
6 Apr. 2025
-
In this case, we’re well served to recognize that our social capital is enriched by diversifying across those deeper, fewer connections as well as the more numerous casual relationships that often have an outsized positive impact when activated at the right time.—
Tim Maurer,
Forbes.com,
6 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
China’s defiant stance has sparked fears that countries will retaliate rather than negotiating with the U.S. Trump unveiled the tariffs Wednesday in a meandering White House Rose Garden news conference.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
4 Apr. 2025
-
The viral clip has sparked debate among users on TikTok, with some praising destination weddings, while others were critical.—
Lee Habeeb,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Tate Beran drove in a pair of runs, while Ryan Kastor picked up his second save with two scoreless innings of relief.—
Paul Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2025
-
Comedian and car aficionado Jay Leno drove state Sen. Shannon Grove, R-Bakersfield, in a 1976 Pontiac Trans-Am past the state Capitol on Tuesday, rallying support for legislation that would ease restrictions on classic cars.—
HECTOR AMEZCUA,
Sacbee.com,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Simeone set off sprinting down the line in celebration, but quickly got his emotions back under control, knowing there was a long way still to go in the tie.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
4 Apr. 2025
-
That has set off a frenzy from developers and gambling powerhouses looking to cash in on the highly lucrative opportunity to operate one of the Big Apple’s first-ever casinos.—
Chris Sommerfeldt,
New York Daily News,
3 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
That includes rare earth minerals, which are crucial to powering a plethora of modern consumer electronics devices.—
Mack DeGeurin,
Popular Science,
10 Apr. 2025
-
While the brand’s Geneva show was all about watches, this one is about clocks, and specifically the Atmos, which launched in 1928, and is designed to tick for at least 1,000 years due to an energy-efficient, self-winding mechanism that’s powered by small changes in air temperature and pressure.—
Samantha Conti,
Footwear News,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Eventually any discourse about his low batting average and moving him in the lineup evaporated as Judge finished with a .322 average, 58 homers and 144 RBIS, barely missing out on matching Mickey Mantle in the Triple Crown department.—
Larry Fleisher,
Forbes.com,
4 Apr. 2025
-
Life Time is moving forward on plans to expand into Idaho.—
Rose Evans,
Idaho Statesman,
3 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Touch off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/touch%20off. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share