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
That touched off speculation that perhaps a bachelorette party or some kind of pre-wedding celebration was afoot.
—
Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 20 June 2026
Those moves are likely to be touched off by planned office-to-residential elsewhere in Windsor and in the broader region, Greenberg said.
—Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 17 June 2026
The Three Lions narrowly missed another scoring opportunity as Jude Bellingham couldn’t get the proper touch off a cross in front of the net from Noni Madueke in the 32nd minute.
—Jim Barnes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 June 2026
The university prepared to wash its hands of this important part of its legacy, touching off a furious backlash.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for touch off
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Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 20 June 2026
Those moves are likely to be touched off by planned office-to-residential elsewhere in Windsor and in the broader region, Greenberg said.
—Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 17 June 2026
The Three Lions narrowly missed another scoring opportunity as Jude Bellingham couldn’t get the proper touch off a cross in front of the net from Noni Madueke in the 32nd minute.
—Jim Barnes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 June 2026
The university prepared to wash its hands of this important part of its legacy, touching off a furious backlash.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 8 June 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 21 Jun. 2026.
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