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

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 setting off There are the now-traditional scenes in which Carrie learns to consciously control her telekinetic superpowers, previously manifested by accidentally setting off car alarms, opening mailboxes and causing a rain of rocks on her parents’ roof. — Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026 Penn State quarterback Rocco Becht, who was 12-for-29 passing for 129 yards and an interception, tossed a final deep ball out of the back of the end zone as time expired, setting off a celebration by Wisconsin defenders. — CBS News, 27 Sep. 2026 In April 2025, then-Commission Chair Chris Measmer resigned to fill a vacancy in the North Carolina Senate, setting off a contentious replacement process. — Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 22 Sep. 2026 During surveillance, Joe recognizes one of the men involved in her abduction, setting off an operation that erupts into a deadly restaurant shootout. — Deirdre Durkan, PEOPLE, 20 Sep. 2026 The shortfalls are setting off alarms among Democratic strategists, who are betting on high turnout and robust voter protection efforts to boost the party's chances this fall. — ABC News, 19 Sep. 2026 Iran’s decision to send the flight to Sanaa in July, setting off the current Houthi escalation, suggests the many ways that Tehran can stoke the Yemen conflict for its own ends. — April Longley Alley, Foreign Affairs, 11 Sep. 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for setting off

Verb

And using a large portion of cash savings or pulling money from a retirement account to eliminate that mortgage could create other problems, including reducing liquidity or potentially triggering a sizable tax bill.

— Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026
Extra chaos Then Alex Albon’s Williams suffered a gearbox failure on lap 43, triggering a virtual safety car.

— Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of triggering

Verb

Hawaii officials had told residents to put together emergency kits, and the governor issued an emergency proclamation, activating more than 230 Hawaii National Guard members.

— ABC News, ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026
Given Serra’s representation of Shift, the work is both an object in time and a device for activating time as a correlative of space.

— Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of activating

Verb

Hackers raised the temperature of refrigerators and freezers, sparking fires and causing food to spoil.

— Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 13 Oct. 2026
Belgal was shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer during an attempted arrest Thursday, sparking backlash from Mamdani’s progressive base.

— Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of sparking

Verb

Customers, especially younger generations who on average drink substantially less, are driving the demand.

— Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 11 Oct. 2026
And on Sunday — despite driving with an impressive desperation (that included a heated Stage 2 exchange with his crew chief over the radio) — a few mistakes followed him.

— Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of driving

Verb

Brill spent the first stretch of the pandemic in Hell’s Kitchen, getting over both COVID and a breakup, occasionally turning on Fauci’s briefings.

— Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Virginia, your story uses dark humor to manipulate readers into sympathizing with Winifred before turning on them.

— Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of turning on

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

While Spencer Jones is still a work in progress defensively in center, Grisham certainly shouldn’t be patrolling the position for the Yankees moving forward.

— Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 9 Oct. 2026
There were Penn parents, too, likely moving their kids into college that weekend.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Oct. 2026