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 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
Hoover brushed aside the arguments of his own economists who warned that other nations would respond with their own tariffs, touching off a trade war in which every country would lose.
—Jesse Eisinger, ProPublica, 8 Apr. 2025
But that small decision, to take a drink of water partway through a 90-minute hot yoga session at Bode NYC, touched off a series of events — and one widely seen TikTok video — that resulted in an instructor losing her job.
—Gina Cherelus, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for touch off
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
Hoover brushed aside the arguments of his own economists who warned that other nations would respond with their own tariffs, touching off a trade war in which every country would lose.
—Jesse Eisinger, ProPublica, 8 Apr. 2025
But that small decision, to take a drink of water partway through a 90-minute hot yoga session at Bode NYC, touched off a series of events — and one widely seen TikTok video — that resulted in an instructor losing her job.
—Gina Cherelus, New York Times, 28 Mar. 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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Now that anxiety has triggered an official backlash.—
Pau Mosquera,
CNN Money,
30 May 2025
Verb
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Breathing in and sighing out slowly for longer than your in breath with an open mouth can activate the vagus nerve, a crucial component of the parasympathetic nervous system.—
Paul McClure
May 24,
New Atlas,
24 May 2025
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Take these steps to win bonus bets for basketball, baseball, hockey and other sports this weekend: Follow the links on this page to activate the welcome offer.—
Tyler Everett,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 May 2025
Verb
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Then May 30’s Sun-Mercury conjunction in Gemini could spark a moment of insight or an invitation that clarifies what path to follow next.—
Colin Bedell,
Them.,
22 May 2025
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Her disappearance sparked a weeks-long search that concluded on Thanksgiving Day that year, when a passing motorist spotted Papini alongside the highway — partially bound, injured and with a brand on her shoulder.—
Jessica Schladebeck,
New York Daily News,
22 May 2025
Verb
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Much of the innovation that drives societal progress and economic productivity does not emerge from revolutions in thought, but from the subtle extension and application of existing knowledge.—
John Drake,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2025
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During my visit, Leal and I drove in his vintage Jeep to 1900 Barker, a coffee shop on Lawrence’s main drag.—
Hannah Goldfield,
New Yorker,
26 May 2025
Verb
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It’s been five years since George Floyd’s murder by a police officer in Minneapolis set off a wave of international protest and the Black Lives Matter movement.—
Cameron Joseph,
Christian Science Monitor,
21 May 2025
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Without inside information, bettors probably suspected that others must know something about the next pope’s identity, setting off a stampede, Sethi concluded.—
Andrew Ross Sorkin,
New York Times,
19 May 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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If the execution moves forward this time, Smith will be the first inmate executed in Tennessee since 2020 and the 19th in the U.S. this year.—
Fernando Cervantes Jr,
USA Today,
22 May 2025
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As the storm moves away, this likelihood decreases.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
21 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Touch off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/touch%20off. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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