as in to trigger
to cause to function
set off a bomb
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in ornament
something that decorates or beautifies
the architect used stone carvings as setoffs for the building's marble facing
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of set off
Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Nov. 2025
The film won the Audience Award at Venice Film Festival parallel section Giornate degli Autori in September and has since played at a raft of festivals including London, Athens and Montpellier, and will soon be setting off for the MENA autumn circuit.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 4 Nov. 2025
Rachel Wegner, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
That setoff a worldwide hunt for the impact site.
—Roni Dengler, Discover Magazine, 21 Feb. 2019
See All Example Sentences for set off
Verb
More would follow, setting off the Family Research Council, according to Thea Glassman's 2023 book Freaks, Geeks, and Dawson's Creek.
—Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Nov. 2025
The film won the Audience Award at Venice Film Festival parallel section Giornate degli Autori in September and has since played at a raft of festivals including London, Athens and Montpellier, and will soon be setting off for the MENA autumn circuit.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 4 Nov. 2025
Noun
That setoff a fast-moving timeline that will ultimately determine if third graders who fall short on the test will move on to fourth grade or be held back.
—Rachel Wegner, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
That setoff a worldwide hunt for the impact site.
—Roni Dengler, Discover Magazine, 21 Feb. 2019
See All Example Sentences for set off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for set off
Verb
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She was released and showed back up over an hour later, triggering another scuffle.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Jan. 2026
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Routine recommendations trigger automatic prompts in medical records and enable nurses to vaccinate under standing orders.—
Jake Scott,
Washington Post,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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After removing ornaments and dusting your tree, go ahead and dismantle it.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
7 Jan. 2026
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The Four Freedoms Roosevelt named were not rhetorical ornaments offered as inspiration so much as a diagnosis.—
Philip Martin,
Washington Post,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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During inquiries, the ICO found 178 active email accounts using passwords identical or similar to those set by the organization’s IT desk when the account was activated.—
Charlotte Reck,
CNN Money,
9 Nov. 2025
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In cases of near-zero visibility due to dense fog, activate your hazard lights and seek a safe spot, like a nearby business parking lot, to pull over and stop.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Comparable in size to the Arc de Triomphe, the Porte Monumentale also contained surface ornamentation based on Haeckel’s exacting lifelong documentation of organisms to be found in the world’s oceans.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Oct. 2025
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The Cabinet Room of the White House has also gotten some golden ornamentation added.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
PEOPLE,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Brown was 20 at the time, and Bongiovi was 22, which sparked some online controversy.—
Janelle Ash,
FOXNews.com,
8 Nov. 2025
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China’s apparent surge in missile production comes as the US expends sophisticated defense systems in Ukraine and Israel, causing some ammunition shortages and sparking debate in Washington about how and where to deploy its high-end weapons.—
Tamara Qiblawi,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Glassware without a microwave-safe label should not be used, including non-tempered glass, antique or fragile glassware, or glass with metallic trims or decorations.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
9 Nov. 2025
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After a few days, store them for winter or display your pumpkins for autumn decorations.—
Andy Wilcox,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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As previously reported by Fox News Digital, the unrest has been driven by a mix of economic desperation and political anger.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
7 Jan. 2026
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While there are some other small new concessions in the CBA that will help players make ends meet (such as getting access to health benefits in the offseason), to hear ECHLers explain their strike vote, the pay bump was never the driving force.—
James Mirtle,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Depending on how your workplace is structured, your direct supervisor may or may not be told about it, but someone has to handle the paperwork for the garnishment to start.—
Tiffani Jackson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Jan. 2026
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Wage garnishment is a legal procedure in which a person's earnings are required by court order to be withheld by an employer for the payment of a debt, according to the Department of Labor.—
Arthur Jones II,
ABC News,
23 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Set off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/set%20off. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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