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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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of touch off
Skyrocketing salaries for top athletes and lucrative deals for college players have touched off a new gold rush among wealth management firms.
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Robert Frank, CNBC, 24 Dec. 2024
This week, scientists revealed climate change touched off the rare cascade of events because thinning ice triggered a landslide.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 13 Sep. 2024
On the witness stand last month, Momeni said Lee had attacked him in a fit of anger touched off by a joke.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 17 Dec. 2024
But the defense has argued throughout trial that other factors could have touched off the blaze, and that even if the cause was the stun gun, there is no proof Crawford meant to pull the trigger.
—Cristóbal Reyes, Orlando Sentinel, 21 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for touch off 
Robert Frank, CNBC, 24 Dec. 2024
This week, scientists revealed climate change touched off the rare cascade of events because thinning ice triggered a landslide.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 13 Sep. 2024
On the witness stand last month, Momeni said Lee had attacked him in a fit of anger touched off by a joke.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 17 Dec. 2024
But the defense has argued throughout trial that other factors could have touched off the blaze, and that even if the cause was the stun gun, there is no proof Crawford meant to pull the trigger.
—Cristóbal Reyes, Orlando Sentinel, 21 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for touch off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for touch off
Verb
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The fire triggered a round of mandatory evacuations in the nearby areas of Altadena, Pasadena and Sierra Madre.Antonio Pequeño IV, Forbes, 18 Jan. 2025
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Memos authored by House Republicans and Democrats, which have been declassified, showed that information about Papadopoulos’ contacts with Russian intermediaries triggered the FBI’s counterintelligence investigation in July 2016 of potential coordination between Russia and the Trump campaign.Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 17 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The alert will trigger an emergency lockdown and will alert the Broward Sheriff’s Office real-time crime center, which has access to surveillance cameras that activate during an emergency.Scott Travis, Sun Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2025
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Suppose Alice gives Bob one bitcoin in a transaction that will activate only after block 1 million.Korok Ray, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Choi has similarly spoken about the importance of handling the delicate situation in a prudent manner that avoids sparking wider unrest.Timothy Nerozzi, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 10 Jan. 2025
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Lyrics are usually the last part, but sometimes a specific idea or thought would spark me to write a structure around that.Ron Hart, SPIN, 10 Jan. 2025
Verb
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This year's fires, driven by dry conditions and strong winds, have threatened high-value properties, forced evacuations, and underscored the risks of climate change and urban development in fire-prone areas.John Mac Ghlionn, Newsweek, 14 Jan. 2025
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Revenues from services and fees increased by $17.7 million, driven by growth in the Capital Markets and Financial Consulting segments, while the Communications segment saw a decline.Quartz Bot, Quartz, 14 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The court’s ruling set off a scramble by TikTok to appeal the case, and the company and creators went to the Supreme Court after the appeals court declined to pause the law from taking effect in order to give TikTok more time to bring its case before the Supreme Court.Alison Durkee, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
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The soldier who authorities believe blew up a Cybertruck on New Year's Day in front of the entrance of the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas used artificial intelligence to guide him about how to set off the explosion, officials said Tuesday.Tom Winter, NBC News, 8 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Credit card debt, which powers much retail spending, reached $1.2 trillion, up 8.1% over previous year.Pamela N. Danziger, Forbes, 19 Jan. 2025
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For decades, cosmologists assumed that this expansion was powered by a new entity in the universe, known as the inflaton.Paul Sutter, Space.com, 19 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The couple had just moved from their modest fixer-upper in Altadena’s Janes Village to their dream home in architect Gregory Ain’s Park Planned homes, when the Eaton fire roared to life.Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2025
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Still, the ramifications for those who lived and moved across the Utah territory during this time echo throughout American history.Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 9 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near touch off
Cite this Entry
“Touch off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/touch%20off. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
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