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
Upon seeing officers closing in on them, the occupants drove off, touching off a chase that eventually reached Glenwood Grade, off Highway 13 south of Lake Temescal.
—
Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 14 Jan. 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
Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 14 Jan. 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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That same afternoon, the lawyers allege, a call was made to the state’s central registry, triggering a follow-up by the city’s child welfare agency, the Administration for Children’s Services.—
Cayla Bamberger,
New York Daily News,
22 Jan. 2026
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Ice could also weigh down trees and power lines, triggering widespread outages.—
Emilie Megnien,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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If Russia or China tried to attack it, Article 5 of the treaty would be triggered, activating NATO forces.—
Frank Holmes,
Forbes.com,
20 Jan. 2026
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With the sun, Mercury and Mars activating your second house, money, self-worth and personal priorities come into focus.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
19 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The hotter temperatures are sparking changes in precipitation—rainier rains and drier droughts.—
Amy Green,
Miami Herald,
9 Jan. 2026
-
The confrontation is sparking a conversation about theater etiquette.—
Kristie Keleshian,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Adapting to changing ad spend ByteDance, which owns TikTok and isn’t publicly traded, is driving the industry race in China with the country’s most popular AI app, Doubao, multiple analysts have pointed out.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
25 Jan. 2026
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The 20-year-old California woman driving the sedan was seriously injured, authorities said.—
Christa Swanson,
CBS News,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Authorities said that in the moments leading up to the video, Husien shot at a police sergeant after the officer attempted to use his patrol vehicle to block the car Husien was driving, which police said had been taken in a carjacking, setting off a close-range gunfight at the sergeant’s SUV.—
Ethan Varian,
Mercury News,
23 Jan. 2026
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Overnight cold deflates tire pressure, setting off warning lights and cutting traction on icy roads.—
Nakell Williams,
CBS News,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Kay, of course, is referencing Whitney turning on Jonah by ousting him from his own company.—
Chris O'Falt,
IndieWire,
14 Jan. 2026
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Far from turning on her, the audience awards her with a head-spinning third applause break in just 50 seconds.—
John Roy,
Vulture,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The world is moving faster and getting less predictable.—
Christopher Elliott,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
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As a search and knowledge management tool, Dash connects to tools, understands your work, and surfaces context and answers to keep projects moving.—
Caitlin White,
Variety,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Touching off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/touching%20off. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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