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
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
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 experiment was successful, triggering hair growth.—
Angelica Stabile,
FOXNews.com,
2 Nov. 2025
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Why was right tackle Larry Borom back on the field immediately after his false start turned a 4th and 1 into a 4th and 6, triggering a rare public display of rage by McDaniel, before Riley Patterson missed a 35-yard field goal?—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Step your feet back and form a straight line from shoulders to heels—all while activating your abs.—
Danielle Zickl,
Health,
30 Oct. 2025
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The moon activating Neptune can evaporate a feeling of groundedness.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Months before the citations were made, the Sheriff’s Office filed a lawsuit against Cal-OSHA, sparking a legal battle centered on relatively recent changes to state labor law, and the latter’s authority to investigate and penalize law enforcement agencies.—
Jake Goodrick,
Sacbee.com,
29 Oct. 2025
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The Sudanese Army withdrew from a key city in Darfur now under the control of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, sparking fears of mass atrocities by the group, which has reportedly received backing from the UAE.—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Bandit had been found on a rural road in the middle of nowhere and would have died had his rescuer not been driving past.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
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That driving tension and anxiety are largely thanks to the team of artisans, which included composer Volker Bertelmann, editor Kirk Baxter and sound designer Paul Ottosson, who worked closely behind the scenes on their respective crafts to bring it together.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Macklin Celebrini recorded his second career NHL hat trick and matched a career-high with five points, which included a key assist on Smith’s overtime winner, setting off a wild celebration for the previously winless Sharks (1-4-2).—
Curtis Pashelka,
Mercury News,
24 Oct. 2025
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But instead Lane, then 34, ambushed her — setting off a violent scramble through the residence that left Wilkins unconscious, her fetus cut from her womb.—
Jillian Frankel,
PEOPLE,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Maybe the tide is turning on her feelings for him.—
Trish Deitch,
Variety,
17 Oct. 2025
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The 38-year-old woman now held at Sacramento County Main Jail, allegedly struck her husband with a vacuum cord before turning on her 10-year-old, beating the child with a metal pole.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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As Semafor previously reported, many inside the magazine were excited by Guiducci’s arrival, believing the old Vanity Fair was moving too slowly, had fallen too far outside the zeitgeist, and had lost some of its sheen.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
3 Nov. 2025
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Tulane University said moving research animals is routine but governed by strict confidentiality agreements to protect the animals’ safety and the parties’ proprietary information.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
2 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Touching off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/touching%20off. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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