touch off
verb
touched off; touching off; touches off
1
a
: to provoke or initiate with sudden intensity
the verdict touched off local riots
b
: to cause to explode by or as if by touching with fire
2
: to describe or characterize with precision
Examples of touch off in a Sentence
his obscene comment touched off a heated debate about the need for censorship on live broadcasts
Recent Examples on the Web
But that small decision, to take a drink of water partway through a 90-minute hot yoga session at Bode NYC, touched off a series of events — and one widely seen TikTok video — that resulted in an instructor losing her job.
—
Gina Cherelus, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
His detention has touched off protests across the country following a Trump administration order to crack down on student activism on college campuses in opposition to the Israel-Hamas war.
—Gloria Pazmino, CNN, 19 Mar. 2025
That touched off a debate over whether Crowley was scapegoated or canned for poor leadership.
—Dan Walters, Orange County Register, 1 Mar. 2025
In Bangkok, Thailand, almost 900 miles from the earthquake's epicenter, a high rise building collapsed, killing at least three people and touching off a search for 81 workers believed to be trapped in the rubble, Defense Minister Phumtham told reporters.
—Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for touch off
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Gina Cherelus, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
His detention has touched off protests across the country following a Trump administration order to crack down on student activism on college campuses in opposition to the Israel-Hamas war.
—Gloria Pazmino, CNN, 19 Mar. 2025
That touched off a debate over whether Crowley was scapegoated or canned for poor leadership.
—Dan Walters, Orange County Register, 1 Mar. 2025
In Bangkok, Thailand, almost 900 miles from the earthquake's epicenter, a high rise building collapsed, killing at least three people and touching off a search for 81 workers believed to be trapped in the rubble, Defense Minister Phumtham told reporters.
—Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for touch off
Cite this Entry
“Touch off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/touch%20off. Accessed 5 May. 2025.
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