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
The op-ed's publication touched off a leak investigation in Trump's first White House.
—
Arkansas Online, 4 June 2025
When the bubble burst in 2008, touching off the financial crisis, the two enterprises were rushed into government control.
—Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 23 May 2025
The case, coming amid the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration, had touched off protests.
—James Barron, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025
The rapid decline was touched off by World War l and punctuated by the Great Depression.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 26 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for touch off
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Arkansas Online, 4 June 2025
When the bubble burst in 2008, touching off the financial crisis, the two enterprises were rushed into government control.
—Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 23 May 2025
The case, coming amid the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration, had touched off protests.
—James Barron, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025
The rapid decline was touched off by World War l and punctuated by the Great Depression.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 26 May 2025
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 29 Jun. 2025.
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