as in triggers
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 touches off
The Bengals then lined up for a desperation onside kick and, thanks to the slightest of touches off a Bears player’s foot, managed to recover the ball to get possession back.
—
Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2025
Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for touches off
Verb
-
Left unmanaged, coal waste routinely triggers water contamination, airborne dust pollution, and spontaneous fires.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
15 June 2026
-
That triggers the development of antibodies — immune system proteins that fight off foreign invaders — that quickly learn to identify and attack alpha-gal sugar molecules.—
Matthew Perrone,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2026
Verb
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Work by Joseph Kable at the University of Pennsylvania identified a pathway known as the default mode network (DMN) that activates when people are asked to do nothing.—
Dr. Deepika Chopra,
Flow Space,
16 June 2026
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Creative courage blends with self-trust as loving Venus activates your 5th House of Creativity and trines imaginative Neptune in your 1st House of Identity.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
16 June 2026
Verb
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Enjoy a fun, hands-on activity that sparks creativity with Creative Crayons Workshop for kids and adults alike.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 June 2026
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Analysts at Wedbush in their note to clients on Tuesday said that sparks at least one valid concern and something to monitor.—
Brian Welk,
IndieWire,
16 June 2026
Verb
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At a time when corporate values are often reduced to wall art and mission statements, Paul Ingram has spent years studying what actually drives human behavior inside organizations.—
Rodger Dean Duncan,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
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As Legendary’s Chief Marketing and Commercial Officer, Rich drives the global vision of marketing, branding, communications, while focusing on expanding the studio’s business through new technologies in marketing and data analytics.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
11 June 2026
Verb
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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
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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
Verb
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This sets off a negative feedback loop where future investments fail to yield returns, as the legacy business continues to shrink.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
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In her latest Netflix action effort, Theron plays a woman who sets off on a trip to Australia to soothe her grief but unwittingly crosses paths with Egerton’s unnerving hunter, who forces her into a game of cat and mouse.—
Savannah Salazar,
Vulture,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
As the storm moves away, this likelihood decreases.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
14 June 2026
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Al Weaver, a frequent British television actor, plays Leonard Finch, a curate who moves to Grantchester to assist James Norton’s vicar character Sidney Chambers.—
Pat Saperstein,
Variety,
14 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Touches off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/touches%20off. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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