How to Use set off in a Sentence

set off

verb
  • That alone should set off alarms.
    — Jon Harris Maurer, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 May 2026
  • Capote set off for the high plains.
    — Patrick Radden Keefe, New Yorker, 11 Jan. 2026
  • Such prices have set off howls of protest from some fans.
    — James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
  • Try to set off on time or early.
    — Josh Max, Forbes.com, 23 May 2026
  • That image alone should set off alarms.
    — Aron Solomon september 3, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2025
  • Then, turn that setting off and save your changes.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2026
  • Floyd's death set off protests across the nation.
    — George Petras, USA Today, 8 Jan. 2026
  • And all of this is setting off alarm bells among some tourism groups.
    — Gustavo Valdes, CNN, 5 Dec. 2024
  • The Iran war has set off one of the worst oil shocks in decades.
    — Max Zahn, ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026
  • Pissed, Mary switches the set off.
    — Literary Hub, 18 May 2026
  • Almost every cook has set off a smoke alarm or two.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 1 Nov. 2025
  • The police set off to raid the premises.
    — Mick Krever, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
  • The decision set off a new round of protests.
    — T. Christian Miller, ProPublica, 30 Sep. 2025
  • No one set off my evil detector.
    — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 6 May 2026
  • Two events set off this crisis of conscience.
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2025
  • Clark’s happy news set off a series of events.
    — Kristi Scales jan. 5, Dallas Morning News, 5 Jan. 2026
  • The kitchen was carved into a wall and set off by a breakfast bar.
    — Joyce Cohen, New York Times, 1 Jan. 2026
  • Still restless, the duo set off to hitchhike across the world.
    — Preston Fore, Fortune, 12 Sep. 2025
  • At one point, fireworks were also set off.
    — Cbs Chicago Team, CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026
  • Some people set off fireworks amid the crowds.
    — Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 11 June 2026
  • The test ended when the smell of burning hair set off the smoke alarm.
    — Jesa Marie Calaor, Allure, 31 Jan. 2026
  • Slayton’s fumble set off the string of turnovers.
    — Dan Duggan, New York Times, 6 Oct. 2025
  • Cole was used to getting calls from reporters, but this one set off alarms.
    — AZCentral.com, 20 May 2022
  • The noise came from a firework set off by a group of juveniles.
    — Graydon Megan, chicagotribune.com, 21 Mar. 2022
  • Instead, Swift sets off in search of a knockout.
    — Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Last year’s war in Gaza was set off in part by similar scenes.
    — New York Times, 21 Apr. 2022
  • The white cabinets are set off by a white tile backsplash.
    — James Alexander, Hartford Courant, 3 May 2026
  • That set off protests in the Twin Cities and across the country.
    — Pioneer Press, Twin Cities, 20 Jan. 2026
  • And in doing so, set off a firestorm of criticism.
    — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 28 May 2026
  • This has set off a debate about cancel culture and free speech.
    — Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'set off.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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