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
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Doing so triggers an automatic stay, which immediately halts most wage garnishments while the case is processed.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
6 Apr. 2026
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An attempt to restrict VPNs reportedly triggers a bank outage.—
Andrew Nusca,
Fortune,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Motivated Mars activates your 6th House of Well-being as of today, motivating you to reconfigure routines and direct your formidable focus toward the tasks that truly count.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Miki, originally a bus driver, gradually discovers and activates the abilities within himself to build one of the largest and most feared mafia groups in the country.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Continue reading … IN OTHER NEWS FAITH FRACTURE — King Charles sparks backlash from UK Christians by not delivering an Easter message this year.—
,
FOXNews.com,
6 Apr. 2026
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Their own process speaks to that joy that Peeps creativity sparks.—
Molly Guthrey,
Twin Cities,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Willy drives it onstage through a giant door at the start and ends his life therein.—
Chris Jones,
New York Daily News,
10 Apr. 2026
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Martinez is categorized as a super commuter, or someone who drives for 90 minutes or more to get to work.—
Kara St. Cyr,
CBS News,
9 Apr. 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 chain of events for the family for generations.—
Jessica Moore,
USA Today,
18 Mar. 2026
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Attractive green foliage sets off other plants in summer, and in fall, the plant displays a lovely yellow-gold color.—
Lynn McAlpine,
Better Homes & Gardens,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The hormone insulin is a peptide that moves sugar from the bloodstream into cells; GLP-1, or glucagon-like peptide-1, spurs the pancreas to release insulin and slows the passage of food through the gut.—
Dhruv Khullar,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
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In a city like Orlando, as across America, public life moves quickly.—
Case Thorp,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Touches off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/touches%20off. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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