as in triggering
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 touching off
With two minutes left in the period, Parayko ran Yurov into the boards from behind, touching off a fight between the Blues’ defenseman and Trenin.
—
Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 14 Apr. 2026
Then suddenly, one set charged the other, touching off yearslong bloodshed that researchers are comparing to a human civil war.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 9 Apr. 2026
Auriemma’s, UConn’s Hall-of-Fame women’s basketball coach, had an uncharacteristic melt-down during and after his team lost to South Carolina, 62-48, in the semifinals, touching off a shouting match with Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 5 Apr. 2026
Last month, the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s editor wrote that a recent job applicant withdrew from consideration for a reporting fellowship after discovering the position included filing notes to an AI writing tool instead of actually writing stories, touching off a heated debate in media circles.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 4 Mar. 2026
Shortly after Goularte got into their pickup truck in Morgan Hill, authorities say, Velasquez shot at him, touching off an 11-mile high-speed car chase through the city that ended near Monterey Road and Bailey Avenue on the southern reaches of San Jose.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 15 Feb. 2026
The Facebook post has been viewed more than 140,000 times, touching off hundreds of comments over driver responsibility and technology.
—David R. Smith, USA Today, 16 Oct. 2025
Williams said, touching off laughter.
—Tom Murphy, Arkansas Online, 12 Sep. 2025
Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 14 Apr. 2026
Then suddenly, one set charged the other, touching off yearslong bloodshed that researchers are comparing to a human civil war.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 9 Apr. 2026
Auriemma’s, UConn’s Hall-of-Fame women’s basketball coach, had an uncharacteristic melt-down during and after his team lost to South Carolina, 62-48, in the semifinals, touching off a shouting match with Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 5 Apr. 2026
Last month, the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s editor wrote that a recent job applicant withdrew from consideration for a reporting fellowship after discovering the position included filing notes to an AI writing tool instead of actually writing stories, touching off a heated debate in media circles.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 4 Mar. 2026
Shortly after Goularte got into their pickup truck in Morgan Hill, authorities say, Velasquez shot at him, touching off an 11-mile high-speed car chase through the city that ended near Monterey Road and Bailey Avenue on the southern reaches of San Jose.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 15 Feb. 2026
The Facebook post has been viewed more than 140,000 times, touching off hundreds of comments over driver responsibility and technology.
—David R. Smith, USA Today, 16 Oct. 2025
Williams said, touching off laughter.
—Tom Murphy, Arkansas Online, 12 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for touching off
Verb
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The breakthrough came recently when an ICE collection allowed Catalan-Torreblanca's DNA profile to be entered into CODIS, triggering a match to the crime scenes.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
7 May 2026
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The one-page US proposal sought to declare an end to the war while triggering a 30-day negotiation period to resolve sticking points, including on nuclear issues, frozen Iranian assets and security in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a regional source familiar with the negotiations.—
Jennifer Hansler,
CNN Money,
7 May 2026
Verb
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Coach Natalie Nakase said this week that activating the Australian point guard will be a game-time decision.—
Nathan Canilao,
Mercury News,
8 May 2026
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The princess has done an amazing job at activating people's minds about the value and importance of this.—
Simon Perry,
PEOPLE,
6 May 2026
Verb
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Ukrainian drones have hit the oil refinery and export terminal in Tuapse on four occasions in just over two weeks, sparking fires that prompted local evacuations and sent up massive plumes of smoke.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
2 May 2026
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Ukrainian drones have hit the oil refinery and export terminal in Tuapse on four occasions in just over two weeks, sparking fires that prompted evacuations and sent up massive plumes of smoke.—
Samya Kullab,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2026
Verb
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Senior Stanley Filiaga was the driving force of the Scorpions’ offense.—
Dan Rios,
Daily News,
10 May 2026
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Limited supplies are leading to higher prices The memory crunch is driving downstream cost increases that are weighing on the hyperscalers.—
Tobias Burns,
CNBC,
10 May 2026
Verb
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In the 1960s and 1970s, physicists in Florida and France started intentionally setting off lightning bolts by firing small rockets with sharp points into storm clouds.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
6 May 2026
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Before setting off for the park, check the schedule for the seasonal hiker’s transport shuttle.—
Staff Author,
Travel + Leisure,
1 May 2026
Verb
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Kirkwood Southern Style Crispy Fried Chicken Perhaps you, like me, avoid turning on the oven at all costs as soon as the temperature outside hits 85 degrees.—
Abigail Wilt,
Southern Living,
27 Apr. 2026
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Other New Jersey farmers might be burning smudge pots in their orchards, turning on windmills, or running sprinklers.—
Vanessa Murdock,
CBS News,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Adjust the pace, keep moving, and follow what feels expansive.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
9 May 2026
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The company evaluates Prime Day timing annually and felt that moving the event earlier in the summer was the best fit for customers this year, an Amazon spokesperson told CNBC Select.—
Ryley Amond,
CNBC,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Touching off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/touching%20off. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
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