as in triggers
to cause to function
his obscene comment touched off a heated debate about the need for censorship on live broadcasts
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Recent Examples of touches off
The Bengals then lined up for a desperation onside kick and, thanks to the slightest of touches off a Bears player’s foot, managed to recover the ball to get possession back.
—
Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2025
Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for touches off
Verb
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Doing so triggers an automatic stay, which immediately halts most wage garnishments while the case is processed.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
6 Apr. 2026
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An attempt to restrict VPNs reportedly triggers a bank outage.—
Andrew Nusca,
Fortune,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Removing visual stimulation activates the parasympathetic nervous system and reduces cortisol.—
Allison Palmer,
Sacbee.com,
31 Mar. 2026
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Sensory Reduction and Cortisol Removing visual stimulation activates the parasympathetic nervous system and reduces cortisol.—
Allison Palmer,
Charlotte Observer,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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This sparks all kinds of adverse reaction, mainly from McCarthy’s snotty pals and girlfriends, a tribe so fiercely materialistic and shallow as to make current Less Than Zero-types seem well rounded by comparison.—
Duane Byrge,
HollywoodReporter,
31 Mar. 2026
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The Leo moon sparks your restless desires for fun and adventure.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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For Robert Flamerich, who drives from Miami Beach to Doral daily, conserving gas means sacrificing comfort.—
Austin Carter,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
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The heat causes the second liquid to turn to steam, and the steam drives a generator turbine, producing electricity.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
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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
Verb
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This sets off a chain of events for the family for generations.—
Jessica Moore,
USA Today,
18 Mar. 2026
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Attractive green foliage sets off other plants in summer, and in fall, the plant displays a lovely yellow-gold color.—
Lynn McAlpine,
Better Homes & Gardens,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The hormone insulin is a peptide that moves sugar from the bloodstream into cells; GLP-1, or glucagon-like peptide-1, spurs the pancreas to release insulin and slows the passage of food through the gut.—
Dhruv Khullar,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
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In a city like Orlando, as across America, public life moves quickly.—
Case Thorp,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Touches off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/touches%20off. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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