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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of set off
ABC News, 16 Mar. 2026
Just as Xavier realizes Gary is not to be trusted, the mailman sets off the bomb.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 16 Mar. 2026
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
The same group also posted video of an attack early Saturday, in which two people set off an explosion outside a Jewish school in Amsterdam.
—ABC News, 16 Mar. 2026
Just as Xavier realizes Gary is not to be trusted, the mailman sets off the bomb.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 16 Mar. 2026
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
-
Sparks or embers can drift into leaves or grass, triggering a fire that can rapidly propagate.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
15 Mar. 2026
-
War in Iran The US-Israeli conflict with Iran has triggered the biggest disruption to air travel across the Gulf region since the Covid-19 pandemic, with commercial airline operations thrown into turmoil by airspace closures.—
Maureen O'Hare,
CNN Money,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The store’s display of wooden German pieces, for example, are reproductions of a line of German ornaments from the late 1920s.—
Emily M. Olson,
Hartford Courant,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Behind them a young man with a paint-flecked beard followed the designer about the set, twitching the hem of the velvet curtains hung at the window and rearranging the ornaments on the mantelpiece.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The moody Moon activates your 3rd House of Chatter while squaring radical Uranus in your 6th House of Sensibility, prompting updates in accordance with shifting timelines.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
16 Mar. 2026
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The discount is particularly useful for travelers planning to attend premium events such as playoff games, arena concerts, or high-demand theater shows, since ticket prices for those experiences often exceed the $150 minimum required to activate the promotion.—
Paris Wilson,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
But Yee hopes that straight talk and her distinct lack of ornamentation will count for something with California voters.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Mercury News,
11 Mar. 2026
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Following the Great Depression, many of the original principles of Art Deco—like rich materials and opulent ornamentation—were no longer affordable and, in some situations, no longer desirable.—
Katherine McLaughlin,
Architectural Digest,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
First introduced in 2013, the original collection of over 40,000 bulbs that lit up the structure sparked attention like never before.—
Brad Hamilton,
CBS News,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Iran's grip on the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil is transported, is sparking concerns about tightening energy supplies -- unnerving the world economy.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Keep your table decorations low and minimal; this way, your guests can all reach the bead bowls in the center of your table and pass them around easily.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
13 Mar. 2026
-
The body tube, nose cone and fins come in attractive black and orange colors and the set includes stickers to add to the decorations.—
Alexander Cox,
Space.com,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Teoscar Hernandez hit a three-run home run and Eliezer Alfonzo drove in two with a double during a five-run third inning.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
17 Mar. 2026
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Serafini then left the home on foot to meet with Scott, who had been waiting for him in the getaway car to drive back to Nevada.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
This legal protection generally halts levies, wage garnishments and other creditor enforcement efforts while the process unfolds.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
16 Mar. 2026
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After writs of garnishment against SeaWorld were ordered the next year, SeaWorld paid in October 2025.—
Dewayne Bevil,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Set off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/set%20off. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
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