spark off

verb

To initiate something by providing the necessary conditions.

“My letter to the newspaper sparked off an investigation into government corruption.”

Similar
instigateprovokeabetactuategoosefuellight a fire undersend
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Meanings

verbspark off (third-person singular simple present sparks off, present participle sparking off, simple past and past participle sparked off)

present singular third person sparks off · participle present sparking off · participle past sparked off · past sparked off

  1. transitiveTo initiate something by providing the necessary conditions.

    My letter to the newspaper sparked off an investigation into government corruption.

    Synonyms: instigate, provoke, abet, actuate, goose, fuel, light a fire under, send

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo initiate something by providing the necessary conditions.

Similar
instigateprovokeabetactuategoosefuellight a fire undersendstingbring aboutcheerdrawdriveencourageegg onengenderevokeexcitefomentgoad

More synonyms by meaning

verbput in motion or move to act

Similar
tripactuatetriggeractivateset offsparktrigger offtouch off
Broader
initiatepioneer
Also see
activateactuateincitequickenset offsparktouch offtriggertrip

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Cite this entry
APA

spark off. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spark%20off

MLA

“spark off.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spark%20off. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “spark off,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spark%20off.

Source: spark off on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.