touch off

verb

touched off; touching off; touches off

transitive verb

1

a

: to provoke or initiate with sudden intensity

the verdict touched off local riots

b

: to cause to explode by or as if by touching with fire

2

: to describe or characterize with precision

Synonyms

• activate
• actuate
• crank (up)
• drive
• move
• run
• set off
• spark
• start
• trigger
• turn on

Examples of touch off in a Sentence

his obscene comment touched off a heated debate about the need for censorship on live broadcasts

Recent Examples on the Web

Firefighters in Israel were battling blazes touched off by Hezbollah's aerial assault that came hours after the death of the high-ranking Abdullah. —John Bacon, USA TODAY, 13 June 2024

Two police officers were beaten outside a migrant shelter near Times Square, touching off outrage across the city. —Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 10 Feb. 2024

In Burundi, Nkurunziza’s last-minute decision to run for reelection this month touched off a constitutional crisis, with street protests, a military coup, and a counter-coup. —Stephen R. Weissman, Foreign Affairs, 8 June 2015

The shooting touched off three days of violent and fatal protests in the city. —Jessica Van Egeren, Journal Sentinel, 3 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1694, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

touch off

verb

: to start by or as if by touching with fire

the announcement touched off riots