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
Bailey did more than amplify the Giants’ resurgent playoff hopes when his bases-clearing home run clinched a 5-1 victory and touched off mass euphoria in China Basin.
—
Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2025
Williams said, touching off laughter.
—Tom Murphy, Arkansas Online, 12 Sep. 2025
Then OpenAI’s ChatGPT, released only a few weeks before Mercor’s founding, touched off a race among the tech giants to train the most advanced AI models.
—Richard Nieva, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
The explosions and fire touched off July 1 on a rural compound near County Roads 23 and 86A, where two fireworks companies — Devastating Pyrotechnics and BlackStar Fireworks — were storing materials.
—Joe Rubin, Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for touch off
Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2025
Williams said, touching off laughter.
—Tom Murphy, Arkansas Online, 12 Sep. 2025
Then OpenAI’s ChatGPT, released only a few weeks before Mercor’s founding, touched off a race among the tech giants to train the most advanced AI models.
—Richard Nieva, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
The explosions and fire touched off July 1 on a rural compound near County Roads 23 and 86A, where two fireworks companies — Devastating Pyrotechnics and BlackStar Fireworks — were storing materials.
—Joe Rubin, Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for touch off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for touch off
Verb
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The latest flare-up coincided with a historic trip by Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to Pakistan’s rival India, triggering concern in Islamabad.—
Lex Harvey,
CNN Money,
15 Oct. 2025
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But the 0% bracket could be a chance to rebalance or diversify your brokerage account without triggering a tax bill.—
Kate Dore, CFP®, EA,
CNBC,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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It’s expected to last into Monday, authorizing the state’s emergency services personnel to be activated as necessary.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
12 Oct. 2025
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Aside from strengthening the body and improving posture, practicing downward dog also activates blood circulation and may improve digestion.—
Ana Morales,
Vogue,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
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That wonky definition has sparked conflicting interpretations by different federal circuits.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
10 Oct. 2025
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The war has also triggered other conflicts in the region, sparked worldwide protests and led to allegations of genocide that Israel denies.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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While driving - Stick to the middle lanes and stay on elevated ground.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Oct. 2025
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Stay safe on wintry roads with these valuable winter driving tips from the NWS, and reduce the risk of accidents during challenging weather conditions.—
Bay Area Weather Report,
Mercury News,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Setting it in one building also set off ah-ha moments.—
Carole Horst,
Variety,
15 Oct. 2025
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If enough satellites are in orbit, this debris could set off a chain reaction, rendering the environment around Earth practically impassable.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But the goal for conversational AI as a product and for research that will power that product is effectively passing the Turing test for a conversation with an AI agent.—
Tharin Pillay,
Time,
15 Oct. 2025
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The new rules, which also target rare earth minerals used to produce advanced semiconductors, could also put a pause on the global boom in artificial intelligence, which counts on these chips to power its training.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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With that goal, Messi moved into first place in the Golden Boot race, one goal ahead of Denis Bouanga of Los Angeles FC, who is away on national team duty with Gabon.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
12 Oct. 2025
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If you are trapped by moving water, move to the highest possible point and call 911 if possible.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Touch off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/touch%20off. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
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