as in triggers
to cause to function
set off a bomb
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Recent Examples of sets off
This sets off a chain of events for the family for generations.
—
Jessica Moore, USA Today, 18 Mar. 2026
Attractive green foliage sets off other plants in summer, and in fall, the plant displays a lovely yellow-gold color.
—Lynn McAlpine, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Mar. 2026
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
Jessica Moore, USA Today, 18 Mar. 2026
Attractive green foliage sets off other plants in summer, and in fall, the plant displays a lovely yellow-gold color.
—Lynn McAlpine, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Mar. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sets off
Verb
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Doing so triggers an automatic stay, which immediately halts most wage garnishments while the case is processed.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
6 Apr. 2026
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An attempt to restrict VPNs reportedly triggers a bank outage.—
Andrew Nusca,
Fortune,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Motivated Mars activates your 6th House of Well-being as of today, motivating you to reconfigure routines and direct your formidable focus toward the tasks that truly count.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Miki, originally a bus driver, gradually discovers and activates the abilities within himself to build one of the largest and most feared mafia groups in the country.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Continue reading … IN OTHER NEWS FAITH FRACTURE — King Charles sparks backlash from UK Christians by not delivering an Easter message this year.—
,
FOXNews.com,
6 Apr. 2026
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Their own process speaks to that joy that Peeps creativity sparks.—
Molly Guthrey,
Twin Cities,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Willy drives it onstage through a giant door at the start and ends his life therein.—
Chris Jones,
New York Daily News,
10 Apr. 2026
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Martinez is categorized as a super commuter, or someone who drives for 90 minutes or more to get to work.—
Kara St. Cyr,
CBS News,
9 Apr. 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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The hormone insulin is a peptide that moves sugar from the bloodstream into cells; GLP-1, or glucagon-like peptide-1, spurs the pancreas to release insulin and slows the passage of food through the gut.—
Dhruv Khullar,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
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In a city like Orlando, as across America, public life moves quickly.—
Case Thorp,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sets off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sets%20off. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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