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
Synonyms
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
Tim Walz was just over a year into his first term as Minnesota governor when a Minneapolis police officer murdered George Floyd in May 2020, touching off a generation-defining summer of global protests against police brutality and racial inequality.
—
Christian Paz, Vox, 7 Aug. 2024
The debate performance, in any case, touched off yet more coverage of Biden’s age and public miscues, which, in turn, touched off criticisms that the media was going light on Trump.
—Erik Wemple, Washington Post, 19 July 2024
The incident touched off an intense demand for information.
—Brian Fung, CNN, 17 July 2024
From the moment that Hamas staged a surprise cross-border attack that killed 1,200 Israelis on Oct. 7 and touched off the latest conflict, Biden has overtly expressed solidarity with Israel and provided some of the weapons Israel has used in its offensive against Hamas.
—Michael Collins, USA TODAY, 17 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for touch off 
Christian Paz, Vox, 7 Aug. 2024
The debate performance, in any case, touched off yet more coverage of Biden’s age and public miscues, which, in turn, touched off criticisms that the media was going light on Trump.
—Erik Wemple, Washington Post, 19 July 2024
The incident touched off an intense demand for information.
—Brian Fung, CNN, 17 July 2024
From the moment that Hamas staged a surprise cross-border attack that killed 1,200 Israelis on Oct. 7 and touched off the latest conflict, Biden has overtly expressed solidarity with Israel and provided some of the weapons Israel has used in its offensive against Hamas.
—Michael Collins, USA TODAY, 17 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for touch off
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'touch off.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near touch off
Cite this Entry
“Touch off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/touch%20off. Accessed 12 Sep. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share