touching off

verb

present participle of touch off
as in triggering
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 touching off The university prepared to wash its hands of this important part of its legacy, touching off a furious backlash. — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2026 With two minutes left in the period, Parayko ran Yurov into the boards from behind, touching off a fight between the Blues’ defenseman and Trenin. — Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 14 Apr. 2026 Then suddenly, one set charged the other, touching off yearslong bloodshed that researchers are comparing to a human civil war. — Evan Bush, NBC news, 9 Apr. 2026 Auriemma’s, UConn’s Hall-of-Fame women’s basketball coach, had an uncharacteristic melt-down during and after his team lost to South Carolina, 62-48, in the semifinals, touching off a shouting match with Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley. — Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 5 Apr. 2026 Last month, the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s editor wrote that a recent job applicant withdrew from consideration for a reporting fellowship after discovering the position included filing notes to an AI writing tool instead of actually writing stories, touching off a heated debate in media circles. — Max Tani, semafor.com, 4 Mar. 2026 Shortly after Goularte got into their pickup truck in Morgan Hill, authorities say, Velasquez shot at him, touching off an 11-mile high-speed car chase through the city that ended near Monterey Road and Bailey Avenue on the southern reaches of San Jose. — Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 15 Feb. 2026 The Facebook post has been viewed more than 140,000 times, touching off hundreds of comments over driver responsibility and technology. — David R. Smith, USA Today, 16 Oct. 2025 Williams said, touching off laughter. — Tom Murphy, Arkansas Online, 12 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for touching off
  1. triggering
  2. activating
  3. sparking
  4. driving
  5. setting off
  6. turning on
  7. moving
Verb
  • And using a large portion of cash savings or pulling money from a retirement account to eliminate that mortgage could create other problems, including reducing liquidity or potentially triggering a sizable tax bill.
    — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Extra chaos Then Alex Albon’s Williams suffered a gearbox failure on lap 43, triggering a virtual safety car.
    — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of triggering
Verb
  • Hawaii officials had told residents to put together emergency kits, and the governor issued an emergency proclamation, activating more than 230 Hawaii National Guard members.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Given Serra’s representation of Shift, the work is both an object in time and a device for activating time as a correlative of space.
    — Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of activating
Verb
  • Ukrainian forces have repeatedly attacked refineries from Moscow to Siberia, sparking a widespread fuel crisis in Russia earlier this year that forced authorities to restrict gasoline sales.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The moves are sparking concern on both sides of the Atlantic, while stock markets continue to watch uneasily.
    — Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of sparking
Verb
  • In the employer market, more recent data suggest the volumes of prescriptions — which are proprietary — are driving up spending more than prices, although prices are still a factor.
    — Bob Herman, STAT, 5 Oct. 2026
  • When the Vikings regained possession Minnesota gobbled up the clock, driving the ball to the 2-yard line before ending the game with the victory formation.
    — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of driving
Verb
  • There are the now-traditional scenes in which Carrie learns to consciously control her telekinetic superpowers, previously manifested by accidentally setting off car alarms, opening mailboxes and causing a rain of rocks on her parents’ roof.
    — Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Penn State quarterback Rocco Becht, who was 12-for-29 passing for 129 yards and an interception, tossed a final deep ball out of the back of the end zone as time expired, setting off a celebration by Wisconsin defenders.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of setting off
Verb
  • Virginia, your story uses dark humor to manipulate readers into sympathizing with Winifred before turning on them.
    — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026
  • One possible hypothesis comes in the prologue, set on June 9, 1956, turning on Police Commissioner Folcada, which suggests the terrible impunity of power.
    — Roberto Prieto, Variety, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of turning on
Verb
  • The seconds-long loop consists of a purple image of a tank silhouette moving rapidly across the picture plane and patterned with what resemble dithered approximations of analog video interference.
    — Simon Denny, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The planning is meant to create flexibility for the president and commanders overseeing the war, these people said, by moving up to three aircraft carriers and their escort ships into the region in November.
    — Dan Lamothe, Washington Post, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of moving

Browse Nearby Words

touching down
touching off
touching (on)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Touching off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/touching%20off. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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