TOUCHING OFF Synonyms: 66 Similar and Opposite Words

touching off

verb

present participle of touch off

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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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of touching off The university prepared to wash its hands of this important part of its legacy, touching off a furious backlash. — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for touching off

Verb

Pandemic closures slashed membership by 55%, triggering a $40 million revenue collapse in 2020 that forced leadership to freeze hiring, defer capital projects, draw on reserves and adjust lender terms.

— Chase Jordan October 14, Charlotte Observer, 14 Oct. 2026
The store owner was in Israel at the time, triggering a yearslong extradition process.

— Monika Evstatieva, NPR, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of triggering

Verb

Hawaii officials had told residents to put together emergency kits, and the governor issued an emergency proclamation, activating more than 230 Hawaii National Guard members.

— ABC News, ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026
Given Serra’s representation of Shift, the work is both an object in time and a device for activating time as a correlative of space.

— Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of activating

Verb

Hackers raised the temperature of refrigerators and freezers, sparking fires and causing food to spoil.

— Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 13 Oct. 2026
Belgal was shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer during an attempted arrest Thursday, sparking backlash from Mamdani’s progressive base.

— Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of sparking

Verb

Customers, especially younger generations who on average drink substantially less, are driving the demand.

— Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 11 Oct. 2026
And on Sunday — despite driving with an impressive desperation (that included a heated Stage 2 exchange with his crew chief over the radio) — a few mistakes followed him.

— Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of driving

Verb

But the wool industry that had once sustained the ranchers was in decline, in part because of overgrazing, and the countryside was emptying of young people, who were setting off for more populated areas.

— Jordan Salama, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
There are the now-traditional scenes in which Carrie learns to consciously control her telekinetic superpowers, previously manifested by accidentally setting off car alarms, opening mailboxes and causing a rain of rocks on her parents’ roof.

— Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of setting off

Verb

Brill spent the first stretch of the pandemic in Hell’s Kitchen, getting over both COVID and a breakup, occasionally turning on Fauci’s briefings.

— Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Virginia, your story uses dark humor to manipulate readers into sympathizing with Winifred before turning on them.

— Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of turning on

Browse Nearby Words

touching down

touching off

touching (on)

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Touching off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/touching%20off. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of touching off

verb

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