as in to trigger
to cause to function
his obscene comment touched off a heated debate about the need for censorship on live broadcasts
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 touch off
The op-ed's publication touched off a leak investigation in Trump's first White House.
—
Arkansas Online, 4 June 2025
When the bubble burst in 2008, touching off the financial crisis, the two enterprises were rushed into government control.
—Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 23 May 2025
The case, coming amid the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration, had touched off protests.
—James Barron, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025
The rapid decline was touched off by World War l and punctuated by the Great Depression.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 26 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for touch off
Arkansas Online, 4 June 2025
When the bubble burst in 2008, touching off the financial crisis, the two enterprises were rushed into government control.
—Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 23 May 2025
The case, coming amid the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration, had touched off protests.
—James Barron, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025
The rapid decline was touched off by World War l and punctuated by the Great Depression.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 26 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for touch off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for touch off
Verb
-
This week's snowfall was triggered by unusual atmospheric instability affecting northern Chile.—
María de los Ángeles Orfila,
Space.com,
5 July 2025
-
The first red flag of the session was triggered after Oliver Bearman lost some of the bodywork of his Haas.—
Saajan Jogia,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 July 2025
Verb
-
Meanwhile, in suburban Cook County, three courthouses — in Skokie, Maywood and Markham — were activated as 24/7 cooling centers from June 21 to June 24 in response to the heat advisory.—
Lily Carey,
Chicago Tribune,
29 June 2025
-
Known as the ram air turbine, it can also be manually activated.—
Mika Gröndahl,
New York Times,
28 June 2025
Verb
-
The wildfire is believed to be sparked by human activity, but the precise event responsible for it has yet to be identified.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
9 July 2025
-
The ensemble film about a women's baseball league boasted a cast including Geena Davis and Madonna, and it's gone on to become an enduring classic (sparking a TV series of its own on Amazon Prime Video in 2022).—
Rachel Yang,
EW.com,
9 July 2025
Verb
-
Preventing the spread of marijuana laced with chemicals is one of the driving factors behind Tyson's push for federal reform.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
1 July 2025
-
They are often produced at high volumes, with hundreds of billions of units created yearly, driven by quickly changing trends and tight margins.—
Alyssa Hardy,
Vogue,
1 July 2025
Verb
-
That month was when scientists reported that the earth’s temperature had suddenly begun not just to climb but to spike—the days around the solstice were the hottest ever measured, setting off a run of record-smashing heat that continues to this day.—
Bill McKibben,
New Yorker,
9 July 2025
-
With personal tutor Bjorn (Michael Cera) in tow, the trio set off on a globetrotting adventure to achieve Korda's epic mission.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
Verb
-
Step into the rhythm of the day with ESSENCE PRESENTS: THE COLLECTIVE SET—an immersive sonic experience powered by today’s most exciting DJ crews and music collectives.—
Essence,
Essence,
7 July 2025
-
Mercedes power units power the British team — giving the team hope for the coming seasons.—
Nelson Espinal,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 July 2025
Verb
-
Neither of these steps will be easy: Hezbollah is under pressure from Lebanese officials and continues to suffer Israeli bombardment, and the new Syrian government, which is consolidating control over its territory, is hostile to Iran and has begun moving closer to Israel.—
MOHAMMAD AYATOLLAHI TABAAR,
Foreign Affairs,
8 July 2025
-
As the storm moves away, this likelihood decreases.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
8 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Touch off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/touch%20off. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share