SETTING OFF Synonyms: 66 Similar and Opposite Words

setting off

verb

present participle of set off

as in triggering

to cause to function set off a bomb

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Example Sentences

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Recent Examples of setting off Five seasons ago, Donald made the game-clinching play in the Rams’ Super Bowl LVI victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, setting off a wild celebration in their home stadium. — Michael Silver, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026 He was accused not of pulling the trigger, but of setting off the September 7, 1996 murder following the Mike Tyson-Bruce Seldon heavyweight championship at the MGM Grand. — John L. Smith, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2026 Experts said it was most likely caused by a partial glacier collapse that sent tons of ice and rock crashing down into the valley below, setting off a powerful landslide. — Jennifer Jett, NBC news, 27 Aug. 2026 By fields of cotton and soybeans where his bees forage and pollinate, Foster Hensel pries open the lid of one of his beehives, setting off a rising hum from inside. — Drew Hawkins, NPR, 27 Aug. 2026 This year, Europe has been sweltering under an exceptionally hot and arid summer, with tinderbox conditions setting off unprecedented fires that have forced hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate homes and vacation spots. — ABC News, 5 Aug. 2026 The peaceful exile is shattered when Ravana’s sister, Surpanakha (played by Rakul Preet Singh), becomes infatuated with Rama, setting off a chain of events that leads to her humiliation. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 30 July 2026 Think of it like setting off a firework inside of a long, narrow hallway (which, by the way, is a really bad idea). — Laura Kiniry, Popular Science, 16 July 2026 Many accounts were opted in by default, making their public photos available to the tool and setting off alarm in the entertainment industry. — Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for setting off

Verb

In that incident, a runaway truck struck Enbridge’s Line 5 at a valve site, triggering a natural-gas-liquids spill.

— Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 10 Sep. 2026
Crucially, Kuran and Sunstein’s framework does not require the triggering claim to be false.

— Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of triggering

Verb

This has included pumping water from the Sea of Galilee, activating groundwater wells and using national water reserves.

— Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026
The Athletic reported on Sunday that Mateta was in dispute with Palace over the final year of his contract, which is set to expire next summer, with Palace activating an option to extend his deal by a further year last December.

— David Ornstein, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of activating

Verb

Anthropic declined to submit its latest model for testing to a top British AI safety institute, sparking fears in the UK that reviews of frontier AI would become the sole province of Washington.

— Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 9 Sep. 2026
Less than two weeks after sparking dating rumors on TikTok in early March 2025, the pair confirmed their relationship with a hard launch on Instagram.

— Emily Krauser, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of sparking

Verb

After driving for a touchdown on their opening drive, the Wolverines didn’t score again until Buchanan snagged Underwood’s pass amid a crowd of defenders in the end zone.

— Austin Meek, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Yet too many adults focus on winning and chasing college scholarships, driving up the costs for families and pressure on children to specialize in one sport and succeed.

— Betty Lin-Fisher, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of driving

Verb

The university prepared to wash its hands of this important part of its legacy, touching off a furious backlash.

— The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2026
With two minutes left in the period, Parayko ran Yurov into the boards from behind, touching off a fight between the Blues’ defenseman and Trenin.

— Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 14 Apr. 2026

Definition of touching off

Verb

But at this point, many SEC administrators would rather find out by getting a win or by losing and then moving forward with that knowledge.

— Seth Emerson, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
The storm, now moving west-northwest at just 5 mph, is forecast to turn northward to north-northeastward with an increase in forward speed Sunday and Monday, the National Hurricane Center said in its latest update.

— Doyle Rice, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2026