spark off

British

verb

(tr, adverb) to bring into being or action; activate or initiate

to spark off an argument

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Londynn Jones was a spark off the bench, finishing with 20 points to lead the Trojans.

From Los Angeles Times

The afternoon sun sparked off the square specs riding down his nose.

From Literature

But the finance industry appears to have avoided the potential free-for-all rush to claim compensation the earlier verdict had threatened to spark off.

From BBC

It developed into one of the biggest corporate scandals Germany had ever seen, and sparked off a political drive towards electric vehicles which has had a profound effect on the industry around the world.

From BBC

They also had depth, as Teraoka’s bat provided a spark off the bench.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023