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
In perhaps the most profound of the recent battles, the Central Florida Expressway Authority touched off an angry revolt by pushing a toll-road extension through a piece of the Split Oak Forest.
—
Stephen Hudak, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 May 2026
Police say a driver possibly suffering a medical emergency touched off a five-car chain-reaction crash near Westfield Oakridge Mall on Saturday afternoon that left another motorist dead, and forced officers to pull the initial driver and a child from their burning vehicle.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 4 May 2026
His death at age 80 has touched off a scramble among candidates seeking to fill the remainder of his term and take his seat in Congress for a full term beginning next year.
—Greg Bluestein, AJC.com, 2 May 2026
Their disappearance was not noticed for several hours and touched off a massive manhunt.
—Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 30 Apr. 2026
This includes soaring gas prices at the pump, seesawing stock markets, rising food and fertilizer prices, higher shipping-insurance costs, and fuel shortages that have touched off violence, work stoppages, and profiteering in parts of Asia and Africa.
—Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2026
Her announcement touched off a new round of progressive candidates backing away from the Iron Dome.
—Andrew Lapin, Sun Sentinel, 20 Apr. 2026
The movie touched off nationwide controversy when it was first released because of the real-world violence that seemed to follow in its wake.
—Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
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
Stephen Hudak, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 May 2026
Police say a driver possibly suffering a medical emergency touched off a five-car chain-reaction crash near Westfield Oakridge Mall on Saturday afternoon that left another motorist dead, and forced officers to pull the initial driver and a child from their burning vehicle.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 4 May 2026
His death at age 80 has touched off a scramble among candidates seeking to fill the remainder of his term and take his seat in Congress for a full term beginning next year.
—Greg Bluestein, AJC.com, 2 May 2026
Their disappearance was not noticed for several hours and touched off a massive manhunt.
—Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 30 Apr. 2026
This includes soaring gas prices at the pump, seesawing stock markets, rising food and fertilizer prices, higher shipping-insurance costs, and fuel shortages that have touched off violence, work stoppages, and profiteering in parts of Asia and Africa.
—Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2026
Her announcement touched off a new round of progressive candidates backing away from the Iron Dome.
—Andrew Lapin, Sun Sentinel, 20 Apr. 2026
The movie touched off nationwide controversy when it was first released because of the real-world violence that seemed to follow in its wake.
—Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for touched off
Verb
-
Once activated, the molecule captures the drifting intermediates and improves charge transport inside the battery.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
12 May 2026
-
Raisel Iglesias has returned from the IL; Ha-Seong Kim was activated on Monday; Acuña is running again; and Spencer Schwellenbach could return this summer.—
Zack Meisel,
New York Times,
12 May 2026
Verb
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Starmer confirmed Tuesday that the Labour Party's process for challenging a leader had not been triggered by unified dissent.—
Frank Andrews,
CBS News,
12 May 2026
-
The light triggered a chemical rearrangement inside the crystal, reshaping its internal architecture and creating tiny cavities capable of trapping water molecules from the air.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
12 May 2026
Verb
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His goal sparked wild celebrations inside St Mary’s, none more so than in the press box, where Southampton’s analysts, doing the opposite of keeping a low profile amid the allegations levelled at the club, were enthusiastically bouncing around.—
Dan Sheldon,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
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The case spurred scrutiny of Utah's family court system and reunification practices and sparked debates about parental alienation and how allegations of child abuse are investigated.—
Janelle Griffith,
PEOPLE,
13 May 2026
Verb
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In a video about an erratic Uber driver, a recognizable dynamic—awkward small talk, impatience to set off—escalates into a life-threatening one.—
Alex Barasch,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
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Her threatening remarks set off a criminal investigation and national security concerns.—
Jim Gomez,
Los Angeles Times,
11 May 2026
Verb
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Rowles, meanwhile, contributed a sharp single that drove in a run during an eight-run first inning.—
Tony Baranek,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
-
The Union pushed up the pitch quickly to find an unmarked Bender, who drove a low shot past the outstretched fingers of Maxime Crépeau to level the match at 3-3 in the 79th minute, setting the stage for Ojeda’s last-minute winner.—
Kyle Foley,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Touched off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/touched%20off. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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