set off

¹

verb

1. intr to embark on a journey
2. tr to cause (a person) to act or do something, such as laugh or tell stories
3. tr to cause to explode
4. tr to act as a foil or contrast to, esp so as to improve

   that brooch sets your dress off well

5. tr accounting to cancel a credit on (one account) against a debit on another, both of which are in the name of the same person, enterprise, etc
6. intr to bring a claim by way of setoff

noun

1. anything that serves as a counterbalance
2. anything that serves to contrast with or enhance something else; foil
3. another name for setback See set back
4. a counterbalancing debt or claim offered by a debtor against a creditor
5. a cross claim brought by a debtor that partly offsets the creditor's claim See also counterclaim

set-off

²

noun

1. printing a fault in which ink is transferred from a heavily inked or undried printed sheet to the sheet next to it in a pile Also called (esp Brit)offset

Example Sentences

That impulse toward protectionism and away from the global economy could again set off a major fight inside the GOP as two fundamentally conflicting visions collide.

From Los Angeles Times

Most notably, the Alaskan earthquake of 1964 set off a catastrophic tsunami that devastated Crescent City, washing away 29 city blocks and killing at least 11 people.

From Los Angeles Times

Celtic's match with Aberdeen was delayed by 14 minutes after fans from the Glasgow club's end set off fireworks and flares.

From BBC

They then set off to meet the prime ministers across the border in Poland, the train’s point of departure.

From New York Times

The diehard supporter of the president-elect has shared grand designs for the bureau, and that's set off alarm bells among pundits, elected officials and intelligence reporters.

From Salon