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
Then suddenly, one set charged the other, touching off yearslong bloodshed that researchers are comparing to a human civil war.
—
Evan Bush, NBC news, 9 Apr. 2026
Auriemma’s, UConn’s Hall-of-Fame women’s basketball coach, had an uncharacteristic melt-down during and after his team lost to South Carolina, 62-48, in the semifinals, touching off a shouting match with Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 5 Apr. 2026
That touched off a political firestorm and ultimately led Congress to pass the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which forced the Justice Department to make public all of the Epstein files in its possession.
—Ryan Lucas, NPR, 2 Apr. 2026
The prospect of a cooling economy alongside high inflation, touched off by an oil shock, has many analysts comparing the current period to the 1970s.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for touch off
Evan Bush, NBC news, 9 Apr. 2026
Auriemma’s, UConn’s Hall-of-Fame women’s basketball coach, had an uncharacteristic melt-down during and after his team lost to South Carolina, 62-48, in the semifinals, touching off a shouting match with Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 5 Apr. 2026
That touched off a political firestorm and ultimately led Congress to pass the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which forced the Justice Department to make public all of the Epstein files in its possession.
—Ryan Lucas, NPR, 2 Apr. 2026
The prospect of a cooling economy alongside high inflation, touched off by an oil shock, has many analysts comparing the current period to the 1970s.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for touch off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for touch off
Verb
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In the next six years, this will trigger sudden short trips and changes with daily encounters like neighbors relatives and friends.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
25 Apr. 2026
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War Powers Democrats have been using privileged resolutions in the Senate to trigger war powers votes on Iran and plan to use the procedure to bypass Republican leaders and bring their Cuba measure directly to the floor.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Veteran right-hander Phil Maton will be activated from the IL during the Cubs’ upcoming series in San Diego.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
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Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams.—
Harriette Cole,
Mercury News,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The comedian was subsequently taken off the air, sparking outcry and accusations of government censorship.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
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But pilots and aviation experts say such warnings have been increasingly sparking alarm in cockpits as bogus signals from global positioning satellites hit commercial flights.—
Katie Hunt,
CNN Money,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Daniel Schneemann then drove the next pitch just over the left-centerfield field wall for a two-run homer.—
Marc Topkin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
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As Sousa-Martins drove forward, another agent shot at him 13 times, injuring Sousa-Martins as well as Solomon Antonio Serrano-Esquivel, a passenger in one of the ICE vehicles who was already in federal custody.—
Lily Carey,
Baltimore Sun,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Some analysts have raised alarms about how weakness in a key node of the web, like OpenAI, could set off a chain reaction that could threaten the entire AI ecosystem.—
Rob Wile,
NBC news,
28 Apr. 2026
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Dozens of people wearing masks shut down I-77 to set off fireworks in the middle of the interstate.—
Joe Bruno,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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If scaled further, the Osaka team’s work points to a future where some medical and connected devices quietly power themselves using energy already available in the environment.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Apr. 2026
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The engines power all three variants of the F-35 Lightning II, a multi-role stealth fighter, and the contract modification finalizes production by the company for lots 18 and 19.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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He was instructed to respond by moving his eyes from left to right, and sure enough, the researchers counted two rightward movements of his eyes.—
Shayla Love,
New Yorker,
1 May 2026
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Mercury moves through your 1st House of Identity, sharpening your voice and making your words more direct than usual.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Touch off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/touch%20off. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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