touch off
verb
touched off; touching off; touches off
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
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
In perhaps the most profound of the recent battles, the Central Florida Expressway Authority touched off an angry revolt by pushing a toll-road extension through a piece of the Split Oak Forest.
—
Stephen Hudak, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 May 2026
Police say a driver possibly suffering a medical emergency touched off a five-car chain-reaction crash near Westfield Oakridge Mall on Saturday afternoon that left another motorist dead, and forced officers to pull the initial driver and a child from their burning vehicle.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 4 May 2026
His death at age 80 has touched off a scramble among candidates seeking to fill the remainder of his term and take his seat in Congress for a full term beginning next year.
—Greg Bluestein, AJC.com, 2 May 2026
Their disappearance was not noticed for several hours and touched off a massive manhunt.
—Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for touch off
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Stephen Hudak, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 May 2026
Police say a driver possibly suffering a medical emergency touched off a five-car chain-reaction crash near Westfield Oakridge Mall on Saturday afternoon that left another motorist dead, and forced officers to pull the initial driver and a child from their burning vehicle.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 4 May 2026
His death at age 80 has touched off a scramble among candidates seeking to fill the remainder of his term and take his seat in Congress for a full term beginning next year.
—Greg Bluestein, AJC.com, 2 May 2026
Their disappearance was not noticed for several hours and touched off a massive manhunt.
—Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for touch off
Cite this Entry
“Touch off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/touch%20off. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
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