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
Synonyms
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
Against Memphis in the Maui Invitational championship game, watch how Auburn gets Broome an easy paint touch off a flex cut:
One way Burgomaster has enhanced Auburn’s offense is by tweaking the Tigers’ entries into their flex actions.
—
Brendan Marks, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025
Unionized employees at the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection are currently considering a new labor contract that would reduce their workweek from 72 to 66 hours, which is expected to touch off a fresh hiring spree that may result in even more attrition from the Forest Service.
—Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2024
The jacket touched off a firestorm of questions about whether Melania Trump, an immigrant herself, was being insensitive, or even callous, to the plight of children separated from their parents while trying to cross the U.S. border.
—Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 9 Jan. 2025
The move touched off widespread anger among Georgians, who polls show are firmly pro-EU, and prompted a police crackdown, with over 400 people, including senior opposition leaders, detained.
—Reuters, NBC News, 29 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for touch off 
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Brendan Marks, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025
Unionized employees at the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection are currently considering a new labor contract that would reduce their workweek from 72 to 66 hours, which is expected to touch off a fresh hiring spree that may result in even more attrition from the Forest Service.
—Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2024
The jacket touched off a firestorm of questions about whether Melania Trump, an immigrant herself, was being insensitive, or even callous, to the plight of children separated from their parents while trying to cross the U.S. border.
—Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 9 Jan. 2025
The move touched off widespread anger among Georgians, who polls show are firmly pro-EU, and prompted a police crackdown, with over 400 people, including senior opposition leaders, detained.
—Reuters, NBC News, 29 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for touch off
Dictionary Entries Near touch off
Cite this Entry
“Touch off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/touch%20off. Accessed 10 Feb. 2025.
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