touches off

verb

present tense third-person singular of touch off
as in triggers
to cause to function his obscene comment touched off a heated debate about the need for censorship on live broadcasts

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of touches off But on its way to him, the ball took the smallest of touches off teammate Igor Matanović. — Ben Church, CNN Money, 3 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for touches off
  1. triggers
  2. activates
  3. sparks
  4. drives
  5. powers
  6. sets off
  7. moves
Verb
  • What exactly triggers rapid true polar wander events and how far the poles move during them remains unknown.
    — Jacek Krywko, Scientific American, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Back on Earth, the band remain comatose and their predicament triggers an obscure rule of the underworld known as the Coma Clause, which keeps the Gates of Hell open to them for as long as their bodies remain alive.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of triggers
Verb
  • The declaration activates the state's emergency management plan to prepare for hurricanes and other potential natural disasters, allowing actions including the deployment of personnel and equipment to respond.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The geometry of the dome itself regulates ventilation and activates natural air circulation through the stack effect, complemented by floor-level air intake to prevent direct drafts and maintain a consistent microclimate.
    — Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of activates
Verb
  • Bruno and Drake Confront Each Other As the flirtatious energy between Karol and Bruno and Karol and Drake continues to heat up and sparks dating rumors, both men have made their interest clear.
    — Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Invaders may have finished off some of the great ancient civilizations, but only after they had been weakened by drought, famine, disease, flooding and internal divisions that catastrophe often sparks.
    — Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of sparks
Verb
  • New seeker drives precision At the heart of PAC-3 Edge sits an advanced seeker developed at Lockheed Martin’s Strigo Product Center.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Waymo’s new autonomous vehicle, called the Ojai, drives in Venice Beach, California, on Wednesday, May 27, 2026.
    — Henry Payne, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of drives
Verb
  • Researchers are adapting the magnetron—the same component that powers microwave ovens—to provide the 10 megawatts of power required for ADS.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 19 Feb. 2026
  • How Wisconsin's solar battery park powers 130,000 homes The Paris Solar farm began producing power in December 2024 and generates 200 megawatts of renewable electricity during the day.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 23 Sep. 2025
Definition of powers
Verb
  • Cruise stars as Digger Rockwell, an aging oil magnate whose drilling sets off an ecological disaster.
    — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Ultimately, Miles sacrifices himself so that the others can escape, holding onto the detonator that sets off a massive explosion until his final breath.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of sets off
Verb
  • Riley was a direct inspiration on the record, and while the Bay Area composer did work with drones, his influence is more poignant here, in the way Schwendener breaks the melody down into pieces and moves them around.
    — Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Bits per second is commonly used in BCI research to quantify how quickly and accurately a user can select intended targets, rather than simply measuring how fast a cursor physically moves.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of moves

Browse Nearby Words

touches down
touches off
touches (on)
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Cite this Entry

“Touches off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/touches%20off. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

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