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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Recent Examples of touch off
The move touched off widespread anger among Georgians, who polls show are firmly pro-EU, and prompted a police crackdown, with over 400 people, including senior opposition leaders, detained.
—
Reuters, NBC News, 29 Dec. 2024
The debate touched off this week when Laura Loomer, a right-wing influencer with a history of racist and conspiratorial comments, criticized Trump's selection of Sriram Krishnan as an adviser on artificial intelligence policy in his coming administration.
—Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 28 Dec. 2024
The rules have touched off an intense fight between tech companies and the government, as well as among administration officials.
—Ana Swanson, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2025
The mayor’s own involuntary commitment initiative, under which NYPD officers and outreach teams took in individuals who appeared to pose a threat, has touched off controversy since its start in 2022.
—Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 3 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for touch off
Reuters, NBC News, 29 Dec. 2024
The debate touched off this week when Laura Loomer, a right-wing influencer with a history of racist and conspiratorial comments, criticized Trump's selection of Sriram Krishnan as an adviser on artificial intelligence policy in his coming administration.
—Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 28 Dec. 2024
The rules have touched off an intense fight between tech companies and the government, as well as among administration officials.
—Ana Swanson, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2025
The mayor’s own involuntary commitment initiative, under which NYPD officers and outreach teams took in individuals who appeared to pose a threat, has touched off controversy since its start in 2022.
—Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 3 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for touch off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for touch off
Verb
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Freed were three Israeli men seized from the Nova music festival and another taken while visiting family in southern Israel during the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attack that triggered the 16-month war in Gaza.—
WAFAA SHURAFA,
arkansasonline.com,
23 Feb. 2025
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According to a 1958 law, companies looking to introduce a new food additive into the food supply are supposed to file a petition with the FDA, triggering a lengthy process of scientific investigation and public comment.—
Juhohn Lee,
CNBC,
23 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The referral agent is also voice activated and calls patients to connect them with the right specialists.—
Ashley Capoot,
CNBC,
17 Feb. 2025
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Charged visions seek to be explored when the moon activates Mars retrograde.—
USA TODAY,
USA TODAY,
16 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Moore’s exit will spark widespread speculation over who will replace her at the BBC.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
27 Feb. 2025
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Still, the string of crashes has sparked fear and unease among air travelers.—
Melissa Chan,
NBC News,
27 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The severity of this year’s flu season is driven by a combination of factors, experts suggested.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA TODAY,
20 Feb. 2025
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Costs have been driven in part by levies to prevent and insure against wildfires, but the analysts anticipate a less conspicuous source of pressure on power bills going forward: growing electricity demand from data centers.—
CalMatters,
The Mercury News,
19 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Images of his feet quickly began circulating online, setting off a craze on the internet.—
Jessica Botelho,
Baltimore Sun,
26 Feb. 2025
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Many of them had walked up to 200 km to get there, setting off days earlier and only arriving Friday evening.—
Dominique Soguel,
The Christian Science Monitor,
26 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The company’s Product Content Optimization platform systematically enriches entire product catalogs with consumer-centric language and attributes, creating a structured data layer that powers both frontend discovery and backend operations.—
Kiri Masters,
Forbes,
24 Feb. 2025
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The Beast, like the Diablo before it, is powered by a 5.7-liter V-12 mated to a five-speed manual gearbox.—
Bryan Hood,
Robb Report,
24 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Listen to this article After moving from Texas and transferring to Joliet Catholic, Maddux and Vince Tindal have had to adjust to a new level of competition.—
Steve Millar,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Feb. 2025
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On one of those days, Sue began asking Ken to move her to a care home.—
Jon Hamilton,
NPR,
26 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Touch off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/touch%20off. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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