as in activated
to cause to function
his obscene comment touched off a heated debate about the need for censorship on live broadcasts
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Recent Examples of touched off
That touched off a political firestorm and ultimately led Congress to pass the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which forced the Justice Department to make public all of the Epstein files in its possession.
—
Ryan Lucas, NPR, 2 Apr. 2026
The prospect of a cooling economy alongside high inflation, touched off by an oil shock, has many analysts comparing the current period to the 1970s.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2026
His death touched off days of vigils and demonstrations both in support of the fallen officer and to decry gun violence in the community.
—Chris Ramirez, jsonline.com, 27 Mar. 2026
But a buying frenzy touched off by the pandemic in 2020 depleted the inventory of homes for sale across the Hartford region and throughout much of Connecticut.
—Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 22 Mar. 2026
Graves’ shot touched off a celebration on the Santa Clara bench.
—Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2026
The boat, left there on shore, had touched off a prompt alarm.
—Elwyn "bud" Myers, Outdoor Life, 11 Mar. 2026
Your case touched off a global movement.
—Maer Roshan, HollywoodReporter, 10 Mar. 2026
In the immediate aftermath of the finale versus Canada, the nationwide celebration also touched off some controversy of its own.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 1 Mar. 2026
Ryan Lucas, NPR, 2 Apr. 2026
The prospect of a cooling economy alongside high inflation, touched off by an oil shock, has many analysts comparing the current period to the 1970s.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2026
His death touched off days of vigils and demonstrations both in support of the fallen officer and to decry gun violence in the community.
—Chris Ramirez, jsonline.com, 27 Mar. 2026
But a buying frenzy touched off by the pandemic in 2020 depleted the inventory of homes for sale across the Hartford region and throughout much of Connecticut.
—Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 22 Mar. 2026
Graves’ shot touched off a celebration on the Santa Clara bench.
—Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2026
The boat, left there on shore, had touched off a prompt alarm.
—Elwyn "bud" Myers, Outdoor Life, 11 Mar. 2026
Your case touched off a global movement.
—Maer Roshan, HollywoodReporter, 10 Mar. 2026
In the immediate aftermath of the finale versus Canada, the nationwide celebration also touched off some controversy of its own.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 1 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for touched off
Verb
-
The center was initially activated on Friday after heavy rain in Cheboygan caused water levels to rise along the river and the Cheboygan Lock and Dam Complex.—
DeJanay Booth-Singleton,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
-
However, some form of auto-brightness might have still been activated, buried deep in a menu, or an image-processing feature that also dims the picture could have been running.—
Will Greenwald,
PC Magazine,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In Carrollton in 2024, leaking natural gas entered a sewer system and triggered a home explosion that killed a man.—
Lexi Salazar,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
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That has alarmed free-speech advocates and triggered federal and state-filed antitrust lawsuits, including one that the Colorado Attorney General’s office signed on to.—
John Wenzel,
Denver Post,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Detectives from the city's Fire Investigation Unit are working to learn what sparked the flames.—
Mike Darnay,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
The campaign has sparked political outcry and court challenges.—
Kanishka Singh,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Carlo Scarpa’s Brion Sanctuary in northern Italy, constructed in the 1970s, sets off heavy concrete geometries, like relics of some sci-fi antiquity, against flat planes of water and grass.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
14 Apr. 2026
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Sceye’s 12-day Endurance Program flight SE2 set off on its ‘Endurance Program’ test flight on March 25.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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On this day, volunteers drove flowers to a senior living center, where the act of kindness overwhelmed resident Carmela Kemper.—
Sharon Chin,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
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That experience drove me into public service.—
Christian Mitchell,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Touched off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/touched%20off. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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