SETS OFF Synonyms: 65 Similar and Opposite Words

sets off

verb

present tense third-person singular of set off

as in triggers

to cause to function set off a bomb

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of sets off Cruise stars as Digger Rockwell, an aging oil magnate whose drilling sets off an ecological disaster. — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 9 Oct. 2026 Ultimately, Miles sacrifices himself so that the others can escape, holding onto the detonator that sets off a massive explosion until his final breath. — ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2026 The idea that the relationship was ending sets off alarm bells for experts like Nikki Engel, who serves as the co-executive director of Violence Free Minnesota. — Conor Wight, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026 The Southeast Asian nation sits on the Ring of Fire, a band around the Pacific Ocean that sets off frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity. — Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026 That sets off a rescue mission — and also creates dangerous shifts in present-day reality. — Jasmine Vojdani, Vulture, 4 Aug. 2026 But the arrival of two strangers investigating her past sets off a series of events that prompts the residents of Crystal Lake to question who Pam Voorhees really is. — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 31 July 2026 When the whole family sets off on a cross-country road trip to take teen Katie Mitchell to college, a rogue AI hatches a plan to launch all humans into space, and only the Mitchells can stop it. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 24 July 2026 Kit departs, leaving Lauren in tears, and sets off for Wyoming for a new job and a chance at a new life. — Barry Levitt, Time, 23 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sets off

Verb

The outsider girl’s innocent invasion may just be the thing that finally triggers a war.

— Guy Lodge, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
Getting at least four stars triggers bonuses, which total $13 billion across the industry annually.

— Bob Herman, STAT, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of triggers

Verb

The agency rejected the recommendation, saying that using cameras that automatically activate when an officer pulls their weapon or activates a car siren could risk privacy concerns.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
And a few are very highly specific, such as the protease that activates insulin, which only cuts near a very specific series of amino acids.

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of activates

Verb

Nothing sparks joy and jumpstarts the Christmas season like a food advent calendar.

— Alaina Chou, Bon Appetit Magazine, 12 Oct. 2026
This one, steeped in milk and cream, sparks off the roof of your mouth with a gentle chile burn and the pleasantly numbing zap of cloves.

— Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of sparks

Verb

New seeker drives precision At the heart of PAC-3 Edge sits an advanced seeker developed at Lockheed Martin’s Strigo Product Center.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2026
Waymo’s new autonomous vehicle, called the Ojai, drives in Venice Beach, California, on Wednesday, May 27, 2026.

— Henry Payne, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of drives

Verb

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
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

Definition of powers

Verb

Such plaudits raise the question of how Movistar Plus moves forward from here.

— John Hopewell, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
The mountains east to Hickory could see an average 3 or 4 inches of rain before the system moves from the region by Sunday afternoon, NWS meteorologist Chris Horne told The Charlotte Observer.

— Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 10 Oct. 2026