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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 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 Jessie, with the help of Woody and Buzz, sets off to help Bonnie make some real-world friends. — Rachel Hale, USA Today, 26 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sets off

Verb

Each gate needs written pass criteria, stop criteria and a limit of one extension; a second miss triggers the decision to stop use.

— Hiromi Nakatani, Forbes.com, 24 Sep. 2026
Scientists understand many of the factors linked to this process but cannot fully explain what triggers it in the first place.

— MD Published, Verywell Health, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of triggers

Verb

The geometry of the dome itself regulates ventilation and activates natural air circulation through the stack effect, complemented by floor-level air intake to prevent direct drafts and maintain a consistent microclimate.

— Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2026
The Recorder page activates the glasses’ voice recorder, which saves the audio recording, a transcript of everything said, and an AI summary.

— Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of activates

Verb

Invaders may have finished off some of the great ancient civilizations, but only after they had been weakened by drought, famine, disease, flooding and internal divisions that catastrophe often sparks.

— Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026
The arrival of Alma, a real estate developer from Madrid who settles in Gazulea with her two daughters, disrupts the community’s life and sparks a conflict between the town’s future and the preservation of its roots.

— Franchesca Guim, Billboard, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of sparks

Verb

This absence drives Shimoda to unearth historical records like FBI files; to visit Manzanar, the concentration camp his grandfather was sent to in Missouri; and to travel to his grandfather’s ancestral homeland in Japan.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2026
Money drives them apart, but that’s what they’re expected to care about.

— Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 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

Riley was a direct inspiration on the record, and while the Bay Area composer did work with drones, his influence is more poignant here, in the way Schwendener breaks the melody down into pieces and moves them around.

— Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 4 Oct. 2026
Bits per second is commonly used in BCI research to quantify how quickly and accurately a user can select intended targets, rather than simply measuring how fast a cursor physically moves.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of moves

Cite this Entry

Style

“Sets off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sets%20off. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of sets off

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

perseverate

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes