trigger 2 AC BrE AmE ( also trigger off ) verb [transitive]
1 . to make something happen very quickly, especially a series of events:
The assassination triggered off a wave of rioting.
Certain forms of mental illness can be triggered by food allergies.
trigger a memory (=make you suddenly remember something)
His action triggered a massive response from the government.
2 . to make something such as a bomb or electrical system start to operate SYN set off :
The burglars fled after triggering the alarm.
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THESAURUS
▪ cause to make something happen, especially something bad:
Bad weather has caused a lot of problems on the roads.
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The fault caused the whole computer system to shut down.
▪ make somebody/something do something to cause someone to do something, or cause something to happen. Make is less formal than cause , and is the usual word to use in everyday English:
What made you decide to become a teacher?
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I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you cry.
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Gravity is the force which makes the planets move round the Sun.
▪ be responsible for something if someone or something is responsible for something bad, they caused it to happen:
The excessive heat was responsible for their deaths.
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A small militant group was responsible for the bombing.
▪ bring about something to make something happen – used especially about changes or improvements:
The Internet has brought about enormous changes in society.
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It’s important that we do everything we can to bring about peace.
▪ result in something if an action or event results in something, it makes that thing happen:
The fire resulted in the deaths of two children.
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The decision is likely to result in a large number of job losses.
▪ lead to something to cause something to happen eventually after a period of time:
The information led to several arrests.
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A poor diet in childhood can lead to health problems later in life.
▪ trigger if one event triggers another, it suddenly makes the second event happen:
The incident triggered a wave of violence.
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An earthquake off Java’s southern coast triggered a tsunami.
▪ precipitate formal to make a very serious event happen very suddenly, which will affect a lot of people:
The withdrawal of foreign investment would precipitate an economic crisis.
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The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand precipitated World War I.