as in to trigger
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
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Recent Examples of touch off
Trump's tariffs touched off a stock market plunge in recent days.
—
Max Zahn, ABC News, 10 Mar. 2025
The firings immediately touched off an outcry among Democratic lawmakers, who said the cuts would delay enrollment for new patients and make fewer workers available to patients and help with diagnoses and treatment.
—Corey Kilgannon, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2025
The helicopter appears to strike the underside of the plane, touching off a massive fireball and sending both crafts into the Potomac River below.
—David K. Li, NBC News, 31 Jan. 2025
The tariffs have touched off a range of emotions along the world’s longest international border, where residents and industries are closely intertwined.
—Dee-Ann Durbin and Sally Ho, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for touch off
Max Zahn, ABC News, 10 Mar. 2025
The firings immediately touched off an outcry among Democratic lawmakers, who said the cuts would delay enrollment for new patients and make fewer workers available to patients and help with diagnoses and treatment.
—Corey Kilgannon, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2025
The helicopter appears to strike the underside of the plane, touching off a massive fireball and sending both crafts into the Potomac River below.
—David K. Li, NBC News, 31 Jan. 2025
The tariffs have touched off a range of emotions along the world’s longest international border, where residents and industries are closely intertwined.
—Dee-Ann Durbin and Sally Ho, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for touch off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for touch off
Verb
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Tariffs imposed on steel and aluminum last week triggered retaliatory tariffs from Canada and the European Union, adding to countermeasures already initiated by China.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
19 Mar. 2025
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Facebook triggered complaints about privacy violations, such as parents sharing private information without teens’ consent.—
Abdulmalik Alluhidan,
The Conversation,
19 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency recently issued a joint advisory warning that two-factor authentication needed to be activated for all webmail and VPN accounts as a matter of urgency.—
Davey Winder,
Forbes,
22 Mar. 2025
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New users can sign up through our links to activate this welcome offer in time for second round action over the weekend.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
22 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Schumer’s move has sparked outrage from some Democrats and progressive activists who protested at his office and called on him to resign his position.—
Will Weissert,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Mar. 2025
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Another 1,671 firms reached $2.5 to $4.9 million, up from 506 in 2021. Transportation and warehousing: With the e-commerce explosion sparking demand for last-mile transportation and warehousing, solopreneurs in this space profited.—
Elaine Pofeldt,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Ultimately, the league’s decision-making on NBA expansion will be driven by a combination of market size, media presence, economic factors, and ownership interest.—
Giovanni Malloy,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
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Objects that are outdoors should be secured and caution should be taken if driving.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
27 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The high-profile deportations quickly set off a legal battle in the U.S.—
Annabelle Hanflig,
CBS News,
20 Mar. 2025
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However, smoke from the barbeque made its way inside the home, setting off the smoke detectors.—
Angel Saunders,
People.com,
19 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Personalized Recommendations Recommendation systems powered by AI help cement your customers at the center of new integrations and processes.—
Bill Geary,
Forbes,
20 Mar. 2025
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When enabled, Sentry Mode keeps a vehicle's camera and sensors powered on and ready to record suspicious activity.—
Kate Gibson,
CBS News,
20 Mar. 2025
Verb
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But the Supreme Court is increasingly skeptical of regulatory power and curbed that authority in June 2024, ruling against the Biden administration and moving the interpretation of laws back squarely toward the courts.—
Bart Jansen,
USA TODAY,
22 Mar. 2025
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The baby kept moving her fingers right around the dog's eyes, but Daisy Doo didn't care.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
22 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Touch off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/touch%20off. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.
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