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touches off

verb

present tense third-person singular of touch off
as in triggers
to cause to function his obscene comment touched off a heated debate about the need for censorship on live broadcasts

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 touches off But on its way to him, the ball took the smallest of touches off teammate Igor Matanović. — Ben Church, CNN Money, 3 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for touches off
  1. triggers
  2. activates
  3. sparks
  4. drives
  5. powers
  6. sets off
  7. moves
Verb
  • Cutting inside opens the diagonal angle and this move immediately triggers the Arsenal players to intersect the line.
    — Jon Mackenzie, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • In animals, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) inside the muscle supplies most of the mechanical energy, while an electrical impulse travels along a motor neuron and triggers a chain of events that causes skeletal muscle fibers to contract.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of triggers
Verb
  • Home asks for adjustments as the temperamental Moon activates your 4th House of Family and Foundations, bringing feelings up around privacy that supports your well‑being.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 16 Sep. 2026
  • If the vehicle has no power and the window remains fully raised, Tesla warns the glass could shatter when someone activates the release.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of activates
Verb
  • As the rapid development of artificial intelligence sparks renewed debate about its risks, the United States and China keep racing to build increasingly powerful models.
    — Chan Ho-Him, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Unfortunately, a cartel gets involved, and plenty of action sparks from there.
    — William Earl, Variety, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of sparks
Verb
  • Sandra Lim, The Curious Thing While there is an undercurrent of a breakup throughout this collection, particularly in the third section, what drives this book is a reorientation of the self in the world.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Speakers noted the Republican nominee's oil and gas investments as the energy sector amasses profits while the Iran war drives up fuel costs.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of drives
Verb
  • Researchers are adapting the magnetron—the same component that powers microwave ovens—to provide the 10 megawatts of power required for ADS.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 19 Feb. 2026
  • How Wisconsin's solar battery park powers 130,000 homes The Paris Solar farm began producing power in December 2024 and generates 200 megawatts of renewable electricity during the day.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 23 Sep. 2025
Definition of powers
Verb
  • Ultimately, Miles sacrifices himself so that the others can escape, holding onto the detonator that sets off a massive explosion until his final breath.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The idea that the relationship was ending sets off alarm bells for experts like Nikki Engel, who serves as the co-executive director of Violence Free Minnesota.
    — Conor Wight, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of sets off
Verb
  • Santiago’s next hearing is scheduled for September 21, the first of what could be a lengthy series of court proceedings as the case moves forward.
    — Julianna Bragg, CNN Money, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Central Florida will see more widespread showers and thunderstorms this weekend and into next week as a disturbance moves across the region and brings additional moisture, according to the National Weather Service in Melbourne.
    — Keily Alfonzo, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of moves

Browse Nearby Words

touches down
touches off
touches (on)
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Cite this Entry

“Touches off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/touches%20off. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

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