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 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
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At high levels, free radicals trigger what’s known as oxidative stress, which can damage cell DNA and increase your risk of conditions like heart disease and diabetes.78 4.—
Cynthia Sass,
Health,
23 June 2025
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With many key military figures already killed in Israeli airstrikes and Iran's nuclear and logistical infrastructure under attack, any power vacuum could trigger instability or factional conflict.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 June 2025
Verb
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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
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Known as the ram air turbine, it can also be manually activated.—
Mika Gröndahl,
New York Times,
28 June 2025
Verb
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Judges have issued dozens of nationwide injunctions in lawsuits that have been brought over Trump administration policies in the months since President Donald Trump’s inauguration, sparking the ire of the president and his allies as much of his agenda has been blocked in court.—
Alison Durkee,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
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But so many conversations have been sparked on this topic, conversations that before the movie was out, noone could have.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
27 June 2025
Verb
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Category Performance : Running and training categories experienced growth in Q3, driven by new launches (e.g., Pegasus Premium, Vomero 18).—
Michael Khouw,
CNBC,
19 June 2025
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While there are many levers driving that crisis, one critical factor is a shortage of skilled trade workers.—
Jennifer Castenson,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2025
Verb
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According to Meeks, seven people started the day with a religious mass around 5:30 a.m. before setting off for a hike in Royal Gorge.—
Abigail Adams,
People.com,
25 June 2025
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Pulled along by Valérie like a recalcitrant puppy, Richard sets off on a quest to find the missing man, who may have ties to the Sicilian Mafia.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
25 June 2025
Verb
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It’s finished in Bianco white over a Rosso red leather interior and powered by a 2.4-liter V-6 mated to a five-speed manual that makes just under 200 hp.—
Bryan Hood,
Robb Report,
24 June 2025
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That laid the foundation for modern AI and led the organization to eventually power much of the world’s AI factories and infrastructure, rewiring industry, technology, and aspects of society.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
24 June 2025
Verb
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Wales have done well under Wilkinson to move away from a hardened reputation as being Fishlock’s team and become more of a sum of their parts.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
27 June 2025
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There’s no way to move forward without acknowledging that.—
Cindy Juyoung Ok
June 26,
Literary Hub,
26 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Touch off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/touch%20off. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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