as in activated
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 touched off
That touched off an argument, during which Sweeney flashed a gun in his hip, according to the complaint.
—
Chris Ramirez, jsonline.com, 12 Dec. 2025
The gunfire touched off a mass panic as shoppers fled for the exits while mall security and San Jose police cleared the scene.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 3 Dec. 2025
The shootings followed a September Free Press investigation that found at least 20% of department shootings in the past decade were touched off by nonviolent stops.
—Violet Ikonomova, Freep.com, 29 Nov. 2025
Carlson had an amiable sit-down on his podcast last month with Fuentes that touched off a controversy among conservatives.
—Michelle L. Price, Fortune, 17 Nov. 2025
Investigators said the gunfire stemmed from a dispute that touched off after two groups of young men left the basketball game between North Kansas City and Staley high schools.
—Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 30 Oct. 2025
The killing of Massey, a mother of two who had long struggled with mental illness, touched off a wave of demonstrations and nationwide calls for police reform.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 29 Oct. 2025
The hit touched off a fight, and ended with Minnesota on a power play, which would produce their first goal of the night.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 15 Oct. 2025
Their disappearance was not noticed for several hours and touched off a massive manhunt.
—Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 8 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for touched off
Verb
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And that was several weeks before Johnson pulled his shirt off after a statement 24-15 Black Friday victory over the Eagles, some spur-of-the-moment rambunctiousness that activated a free hot dog promotion at The Wiener’s Circle in Chicago.—
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The school activated a hold-in-place, Granadillo explained, keeping students from leaving the classroom.—
Verb
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The torrential downpours on Thursday triggered both a flood advisory and flash flood warnings across the city and suburbs.—
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The agreement resolves an antitrust review by the attorney general’s office triggered by the state’s ‘notice of material change’ statute, according to Tong’s office.—
Verb
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The incident has sparked a national outcry and widespread protests.—
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Like the 49ers’ opening drive, the Eagles sparked theirs on their second snap, when Saquon Barkley ran 29 yards down the right side once Sam Okuayinonu and Deommodore Lenoir bit inside.—
Verb
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As a doctor is forced to flee Aleppo with her young daughter, one desperate choice sets off a chain of events that ripples across borders and interlocking stories.—
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The killing drew national attention and set off a frantic five-day manhunt across the Northeast.—
Verb
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Muñoz-Guatemala then drove with the Taser hanging out of the car window, and was arrested about a mile away by local police officers.—
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The suspect drove around the area before surrendering to police in Atwater Village.—
Cite this Entry
“Touched off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/touched%20off. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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