| 词汇 | spark off |
| 释义 | Phr V spark off sparks, sparking, sparked spark off sth or spark sth off if something sparks off an activity {e.g. fighting, violence} or a state, it causes it to suddenly happen or existThe riot sparked off violence in the rest of the city.A series of TV programmes sparked off a lot of interest in the subject. spark off sth • spark sth off to suddenly cause something, for example protests, violence, discussion, or interest in something: An apparently minor incident sparked off rioting which lasted until Monday, 6 July. Rosa Parks, the black American woman whose case sparked off the civil rights movement in the United States Dr Pusztai's report sparked off a fierce debate about the dangers of introducing genetically modified foods.■ SIMILAR TO: trigger off, set off, touch off spark off1. Literally, to ignite or set fire to something. A noun or pronoun can be used between "spark" and "off." He sparked off the fireworks, then ran behind the car for cover. Police arrested the man on suspicion of sparking the forest fire off. 2. To cause something to happen or begin; to set something into motion. A noun or pronoun can be used between "spark" and "off." The question sparked off a two-hour debate about the ethics of modifying genetic code before birth. The killing sparked a series of riots off across the country, which gathered momentum into a full-blown revolution. spark something off1. Lit. to ignite something flammable or explosive. The lightning sparked afire off. The match sparked off a raging inferno. 2. Fig. to cause or start some violent or energetic activity. We were afraid there would be a riot and the speaker nearly sparked it off. The speaker sparked off quite a discussion. spark offv. 1. To ignite some fire: Forest rangers think that a cigarette sparked off the blaze. After the fire was extinguished, investigators tried to determine what sparked it off. 2. To set something in motion; trigger something: The assassination sparked off a revolution. Historians disagree about what sparked the riot off. |
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