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 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
That revelation, in turn, has touched off something of a eureka moment for many in the industry.
—Ars Technica, 24 Feb. 2025
The memo has touched off a crisis at the Manhattan U.S. attorney’s office and in Adams’ administration.
—Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 19 Feb. 2025
Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire deal, bringing at least a temporary halt to the war in Gaza that has killed tens of thousands of people in the last 15 months and touched off broader turmoil across the Middle East.
—Jordan Novet, CNBC, 16 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for touch off
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Dee-Ann Durbin and Sally Ho, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2025
That revelation, in turn, has touched off something of a eureka moment for many in the industry.
—Ars Technica, 24 Feb. 2025
The memo has touched off a crisis at the Manhattan U.S. attorney’s office and in Adams’ administration.
—Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 19 Feb. 2025
Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire deal, bringing at least a temporary halt to the war in Gaza that has killed tens of thousands of people in the last 15 months and touched off broader turmoil across the Middle East.
—Jordan Novet, CNBC, 16 Jan. 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 14 Mar. 2025.
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