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
Synonyms
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
Proposals to move production to South Carolina touched off a political battle in Washington, D.C., as New Mexico senators fought to retain a foothold for Los Alamos in the multibillion-dollar program.
—
Morgan Lee The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 5 Oct. 2024
The Thompsons’ decision touched off an upward trajectory in their lives, said Ron Dong, 87, who grew up in the house with his parents and three siblings.
—Lynda Lin Grigsby, NBC News, 17 Sep. 2024
To go along with the climbing, there’s weight training and cardio equipment, slacklines, a sauna, and a second, rooftop rockwall touched off by a fire pit and views of the Manhattan skyline.
—Seamus Webster, Fortune, 4 Aug. 2024
Last month, at least 150 people were killed, thousands injured and about 10,000 arrested in violence touched off by demonstrations led by student groups protesting against quotas for government jobs.
—Reuters, NBC News, 4 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for touch off 
Morgan Lee The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 5 Oct. 2024
The Thompsons’ decision touched off an upward trajectory in their lives, said Ron Dong, 87, who grew up in the house with his parents and three siblings.
—Lynda Lin Grigsby, NBC News, 17 Sep. 2024
To go along with the climbing, there’s weight training and cardio equipment, slacklines, a sauna, and a second, rooftop rockwall touched off by a fire pit and views of the Manhattan skyline.
—Seamus Webster, Fortune, 4 Aug. 2024
Last month, at least 150 people were killed, thousands injured and about 10,000 arrested in violence touched off by demonstrations led by student groups protesting against quotas for government jobs.
—Reuters, NBC News, 4 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for touch off
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'touch off.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Touch off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/touch%20off. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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