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
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
That touched off a political firestorm and ultimately led Congress to pass the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which forced the Justice Department to make public all of the Epstein files in its possession.
—Ryan Lucas, NPR, 2 Apr. 2026
The prospect of a cooling economy alongside high inflation, touched off by an oil shock, has many analysts comparing the current period to the 1970s.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2026
His death touched off days of vigils and demonstrations both in support of the fallen officer and to decry gun violence in the community.
—Chris Ramirez, jsonline.com, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for touch off
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Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 5 Apr. 2026
That touched off a political firestorm and ultimately led Congress to pass the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which forced the Justice Department to make public all of the Epstein files in its possession.
—Ryan Lucas, NPR, 2 Apr. 2026
The prospect of a cooling economy alongside high inflation, touched off by an oil shock, has many analysts comparing the current period to the 1970s.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2026
His death touched off days of vigils and demonstrations both in support of the fallen officer and to decry gun violence in the community.
—Chris Ramirez, jsonline.com, 27 Mar. 2026
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 6 Apr. 2026.
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