as in triggers
to cause to function
set off a bomb
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Recent Examples of sets off
In Terminator, an all-powerful, faultless AI becomes sentient, decides that humans are the enemy, and sets off a nuclear apocalypse.
—
Bipul Sinha, Fortune, 27 Jan. 2026
Convinced that these images faithfully represent America, a group of villagers sets off for the New World.
—Tope Folarin, The Atlantic, 8 Nov. 2025
The comedy horror film revolves around Brian (Tyler Perry) forbidding his daughter Tiffany (Diamond White) from attending a frat party, which sets off a string of Halloween pranks.
—Ariana Quihuiz, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
In the Disney+ series of the same name, rebellious princess Kit (Bottoms’ Ruby Cruz) sets off on a dangerous quest to rescue her twin brother from dastardly forces of evil.
—Abby Monteil, Them., 15 Oct. 2025
Instead, Swift sets off in search of a knockout.
—Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2025
The Carbon offers Apple Find My tracker integration and has its own Turbo System Lock that kills the motor and (optionally) sets off lights and siren alarms when the bike is moved while disabled.
—Kevin Purdy, ArsTechnica, 20 Sep. 2025
In Roland Emmerich’s enviro-disasterpiece, climate change sets off a series of events that send massive superstorms across the Earth, hurtling us into a new Ice Age.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2025
The ball smashes into the floodlights, and Hobbs sets off on his victory trot, in slow motion, with sparks cascading behind him like fireworks.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2025
Bipul Sinha, Fortune, 27 Jan. 2026
Convinced that these images faithfully represent America, a group of villagers sets off for the New World.
—Tope Folarin, The Atlantic, 8 Nov. 2025
The comedy horror film revolves around Brian (Tyler Perry) forbidding his daughter Tiffany (Diamond White) from attending a frat party, which sets off a string of Halloween pranks.
—Ariana Quihuiz, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
In the Disney+ series of the same name, rebellious princess Kit (Bottoms’ Ruby Cruz) sets off on a dangerous quest to rescue her twin brother from dastardly forces of evil.
—Abby Monteil, Them., 15 Oct. 2025
Instead, Swift sets off in search of a knockout.
—Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2025
The Carbon offers Apple Find My tracker integration and has its own Turbo System Lock that kills the motor and (optionally) sets off lights and siren alarms when the bike is moved while disabled.
—Kevin Purdy, ArsTechnica, 20 Sep. 2025
In Roland Emmerich’s enviro-disasterpiece, climate change sets off a series of events that send massive superstorms across the Earth, hurtling us into a new Ice Age.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2025
The ball smashes into the floodlights, and Hobbs sets off on his victory trot, in slow motion, with sparks cascading behind him like fireworks.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sets off
Verb
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After your baby is born progesterone (which inhibits breastmilk production) drops and prolactin, which controls milk volume, and oxytocin, which triggers the let-down reflex increases, explains Nadine Rosenblum, the perinatal lactation program coordinator at The Johns Hopkins Hospital.—
Hannah Silverman,
Parents,
16 Feb. 2026
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The director frames the film as an immersion into the mind of one such figure — shaped by social discontent, inequality and state repression — who triggers revolt to avenge the death of his dog.—
Emiliano De Pablos,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Curiosity widens as the sparkling Sun activates your 9th House of Travel and Exploration, inviting you to stretch your beliefs and seek perspective beyond familiar comfort zones.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
18 Feb. 2026
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The ad, which centers on a fictional family scouring their community for their missing dog, demonstrates how the Search Party feature activates neighboring Ring home cameras to be used in the search.—
Mason Leib,
ABC News,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The final product not only brings them pride, but also sparks hope for a brighter future.—
Libby Smith,
CBS News,
18 Feb. 2026
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Rose, a Detroit native and University of Michigan Wolverine, and Gores, a Flint native and Michigan State Spartan, founded the company to create content that sparks cross-cultural conversation and deeper appreciation for others at a critical time globally.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Singleton said that preparation is rooted in a broader understanding of what actually drives trafficking around major sporting events.—
Cierra Morgan,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
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The message drives a grieving John to Carolyn’s East Village apartment, where the pair share their first kiss — signaling the official beginning of their romance at the end of that third episode.—
Lexi Carson,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Researchers are adapting the magnetron—the same component that powers microwave ovens—to provide the 10 megawatts of power required for ADS.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
19 Feb. 2026
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How Wisconsin's solar battery park powers 130,000 homes The Paris Solar farm began producing power in December 2024 and generates 200 megawatts of renewable electricity during the day.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
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An annular solar eclipse happens when the moon moves between Earth and the sun, but is too far from Earth to completely cover the sun's disk.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
16 Feb. 2026
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Every year from approximately November 22 to December 21, the sun moves through the ninth sign of the zodiac, Sagittarius, symbolized by the Archer.—
Maressa Brown,
InStyle,
15 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sets off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sets%20off. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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