TOUCH OFF Synonyms: 65 Similar and Opposite Words

touch off

verb

Definition of touch off

as in to trigger

to cause to function his obscene comment touched off a heated debate about the need for censorship on live broadcasts

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Example Sentences

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Recent Examples of touch off The order prompted the company to disable all global access to the two advanced systems and touched off intensive talks toward a resolution. — Josh Wingrove, Fortune, 27 June 2026 The plans have touched off stiff opposition from neighbors worried about soil erosion, already a problem in an area of steeply sloping topography, and potential well contamination. — Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 21 June 2026 That touched off speculation that perhaps a bachelorette party or some kind of pre-wedding celebration was afoot. — Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 20 June 2026 The Three Lions narrowly missed another scoring opportunity as Jude Bellingham couldn’t get the proper touch off a cross in front of the net from Noni Madueke in the 32nd minute. — Jim Barnes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for touch off

Recent Examples of Synonyms for touch off

Verb

In 2024, Kim divorced her husband, Vladislav Bakalchuk, triggering a fight for control of the company.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
The protests first began in April, triggered by the death of former Chinese Communist Party leader Hu Yaobang at the age of 73.

— Sylvie Zhuang, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of trigger

Verb

The Lincoln has been at sea for an extended deployment during the Iran war, which sparked concerns among lawmakers and military families after reports of the crew’s worsening mental health and conditions aboard.

— Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
While ChatGPT’s release in late 2022, helped spark a flurry of competition and advances for large language models, the same idea isn’t easily applied to robots because of their complexity.

— Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of spark

Verb

Recordings of Rajab’s call with paramedics gained international attention, driving calls for accountability for her killing and that of thousands of other children in Gaza.

— Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026
The University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index, also released Friday, showed greater pessimism about the economy this month, likely driven by stubbornly high prices.

— CBS News, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of drive

Verb

Exceptionally heavy rainfall, over 43 inches of it in the Big Island’s mountains, set off landslides and flash floods that wiped out roads on the island.

— Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026
The move set off a panic rush for tax and legal advice, and a scramble for cash to meet the bill.

— Anniek Bao, CNBC, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of set off

Verb

The animation is truly ugly, the characters moving at the framerate of a PowerPoint and looking less like the animals they’re supposed to be than weird hybrid troll creatures.

— Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 21 Aug. 2026
Instead of dealing with rental cars or busy trailheads, travelers just want to step out their front door, lace up and move.

— Roger Sands, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026