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
The person wearing the camera approaches Kerley and places their hand on Kerley's chest and then his wrist, touching off the scuffle.
—
David K. Li, NBC News, 4 Jan. 2025
Some advocates say the crisis was touched off when Purdue Pharma's OxyContin hit the market in 1996.
—CBS News, 13 Dec. 2024
Zoom in: The win touched off celebrations throughout the city.
—Isaac Avilucea, Axios, 27 Jan. 2025
Against Memphis in the Maui Invitational championship game, watch how Auburn gets Broome an easy paint touch off a flex cut:
One way Burgomaster has enhanced Auburn’s offense is by tweaking the Tigers’ entries into their flex actions.
—Brendan Marks, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for touch off
David K. Li, NBC News, 4 Jan. 2025
Some advocates say the crisis was touched off when Purdue Pharma's OxyContin hit the market in 1996.
—CBS News, 13 Dec. 2024
Zoom in: The win touched off celebrations throughout the city.
—Isaac Avilucea, Axios, 27 Jan. 2025
Against Memphis in the Maui Invitational championship game, watch how Auburn gets Broome an easy paint touch off a flex cut:
One way Burgomaster has enhanced Auburn’s offense is by tweaking the Tigers’ entries into their flex actions.
—Brendan Marks, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for touch off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for touch off
Verb
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The Miami-Dade Police officer who pulled over Miami Dolphins’ superstar Tyreek Hill — triggering a chaotic series of events that led to him and a fellow player in handcuffs — has a history of using force during his five years with the department.—
Devoun Cetoute,
Miami Herald,
7 Mar. 2025
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According to an investigation that remains ongoing, leaking fuel triggered a series of fires that shut down the spacecraft’s engines.—
Marcia Dunn,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The Leo full moon activates themes of intimacy and transformation, encouraging you to dive deeper into your emotional connections.—
Meghan Rose,
Glamour,
1 Mar. 2025
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The following year, on Oct. 21, the fledgling military branch activated Space Operations Command at Peterson Air Force Base (now Peterson Space Force Base) in Colorado.—
Julian Dossett,
Space.com,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
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One sailor was presumed dead in the collision, which sparked fears of significant environmental damage.—
Jill Lawless,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2025
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Nearly 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage in the attack that sparked the war in Gaza, according to the Israeli government, and more than 48,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed in Israeli strikes, according to Gaza health officials.—
Daniel Estrin,
NPR,
11 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Decision-makers have an opportunity to ensure that the very tools designed to drive revenue don’t end up stifling creativity.—
Seth Yudof,
Rolling Stone,
3 Mar. 2025
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Harbour remains bullish on the stock longer term, however, anticipating that Chipotle’s consistent unit sales, strong balance sheet and use of automation to cut costs and drive margins could be some key growth drivers for the company.—
Pia Singh,
CNBC,
3 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The casting has set off a long string of controversies from many different sides of Harry Potter fandom, or even outside of that, for multiple reasons.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes,
8 Mar. 2025
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Police in Dallas said a fight that broke out between two people on Saturday set off the false alarm.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA TODAY,
5 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Algorithmic recommendation engines that power everything from X to YouTube can even contribute to a slow-burn destabilization of American society by shoving consumers into partisan echo chambers that increase polarization and erode social trust.—
Seth Ashley,
The Conversation,
7 Mar. 2025
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The previous test flight, which similarly failed as the rocket was powering into space, most likely failed because of a leak in an engine causing a pressure buildup, the company said last month.—
Alex Knapp,
Forbes,
7 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Re-signing two of their own free agents, defensive tackle Kevin Givens and running back Patrick Taylor Jr., to one-year deals didn’t move the enthusiasm needle much, either.—
Matt Barrows,
The Athletic,
11 Mar. 2025
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The legislative session moves fast — lawmakers have only two months each year to better the lives of Floridians.—
Yacob Reyes,
Axios,
10 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Touch off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/touch%20off. Accessed 16 Mar. 2025.
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