touch off
verb
touched off; touching off; touches off
1
a
: to provoke or initiate with sudden intensity
the verdict touched off local riots
b
: to cause to explode by or as if by touching with fire
2
: to describe or characterize with precision
Examples of touch off in a Sentence
his obscene comment touched off a heated debate about the need for censorship on live broadcasts
Recent Examples on the Web
The dispute touched off after the groups left the basketball game.
—
Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 20 Mar. 2025
The original bail reform bill Cuomo signed in 2019 touched off New York City’s regression toward the bad old days when people feared to walk the streets or ride the subways.
—Maud Maron, New York Daily News, 20 Mar. 2025
The president’s moves to upend federal bureaucracy touch off fear and confusion.
—Chris Haxel Pat McCusker, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2025
Newsom has been a longtime and avid supporter of LGBTQ+ rights, so his remarks touched off a hissy fit among progressive Democrats.
—Laura Washington, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for touch off
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Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 20 Mar. 2025
The original bail reform bill Cuomo signed in 2019 touched off New York City’s regression toward the bad old days when people feared to walk the streets or ride the subways.
—Maud Maron, New York Daily News, 20 Mar. 2025
The president’s moves to upend federal bureaucracy touch off fear and confusion.
—Chris Haxel Pat McCusker, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2025
Newsom has been a longtime and avid supporter of LGBTQ+ rights, so his remarks touched off a hissy fit among progressive Democrats.
—Laura Washington, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for touch off
Cite this Entry
“Touch off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/touch%20off. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.
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