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 Venice Film Festival drew to a close this evening with its glamorous awards gala, and though the feeling on the ground was that the 21-title-strong main competition was a touch off the pace of recent years, still the festival is looking pretty good for an 81-year-old.
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Jessica Kiang, Variety, 7 Sep. 2024
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
See all Example Sentences for touch off 
Jessica Kiang, Variety, 7 Sep. 2024
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
See all Example Sentences for touch off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for touch off
Verb
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Earlier on Wednesday, the union representing the department’s rank-and-file officers, whose complaints to county officials triggered the report, asserted that their recent public criticism of Corpus only had to do with her job performance.Ryan Macasero, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024
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Rafael is forecast to pass near Jamaica Tuesday, bringing torrential rainfall to the island country that could trigger mudslides along the higher terrain.Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
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The same functions also can be activated with hotkeys.Michael Kan, PCMAG, 12 Nov. 2024
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Also, activate the find my device feature, which is available for both iOS and Android.Kelvin Chan, The Denver Post, 9 Nov. 2024
Verb
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With conditions like this, more fires could be sparking across the country even late into autumn.Kristin Shaw, Popular Science, 14 Nov. 2024
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This not only sparks creativity but also results in tangible items to enjoy throughout the season.Tribune Content Agency, The Mercury News, 14 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Micaela Hanning, Crean Lutheran: The transfer from Calvary Chapel is an explosive point guard who can strike from the perimeter and drive to the basket.Dan Albano, Orange County Register, 7 Nov. 2024
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In 2021, Gonzalez-Nunez allegedly drove a car in a sideshow while his girlfriend hung out of the window with an miniature AK-47.Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Extra spicy In the United States, many people seek out spicy ramen, but that’s not necessarily the case in Japan, according to Osaka, where ramen wasn’t meant to bind to your tongue and set off pain receptors in your brain.Jonathan Shikes, The Denver Post, 11 Nov. 2024
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The 2005 revelation set off a chain of events that led to Pluto’s still-controversial demotion from planet status the following year.Jacopo Prisco, CNN, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
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That application, a cathode-ray-tube powered 3×4 inches box, was comparatively quaint compared to the massive desktop-sized screens in some modern vehicles.Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 13 Nov. 2024
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Sitemap About Quartz Advisor Accessibility Privacy Terms of Use Advertising Jobs Reprints & Permissions More from our network Market Data powered by QuoteMedia.Quartz, Quartz, 9 Nov. 2024
Verb
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If the company does not adhere to the agreement, the U.S. Attorney’s Office can move forward with the case.Jason Green, The Mercury News, 15 Nov. 2024
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According to the article, published in 2016, Lo moved into the New York Edition hotel, in the Gramercy area, then racked up a $13,000 tab and refused to leave for nearly two months.Suzanne Seggerman, Curbed, 14 Nov. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Touch off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/touch%20off. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.
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