trigger

verb

/ˈtrɪɡə(r)/

/ˈtrɪɡər/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they trigger	/ˈtrɪɡə(r)/ /ˈtrɪɡər/
he / she / it triggers	/ˈtrɪɡəz/ /ˈtrɪɡərz/
past simple triggered	/ˈtrɪɡəd/ /ˈtrɪɡərd/
past participle triggered	/ˈtrɪɡəd/ /ˈtrɪɡərd/
-ing form triggering	/ˈtrɪɡərɪŋ/ /ˈtrɪɡərɪŋ/

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trigger something (off) to make something happen suddenly synonym set off
- Nuts can trigger off a violent allergic reaction.
Extra Examples
- A wide range of emotionally stressful events may trigger a relapse.
- An influx of refugees has triggered disturbances.
- Even the smell of oranges can trigger her migraine.
- He suffers from a brain disorder that can trigger off convulsive fits.
Topics Change, cause and effectb2
trigger something to cause a device to start functioning synonym set off
- to trigger an alarm

noun

/ˈtrɪɡə(r)/

/ˈtrɪɡər/

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the part of a gun that you press in order to fire it
- to pull/squeeze the trigger
- He kept his finger on the trigger.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
verb + trigger
- press
- pull
- squeeze
- …
trigger + noun
- finger
- guard
- mechanism
- …
phrases
- have your finger on the trigger
See full entry
something that is the cause of a particular reaction or development, especially a bad one
- trigger for something The trigger for the strike was the closure of yet another factory.
- trigger to something Intense sunlight may be a trigger to skin cancer.
- trigger to do something a radical plan that would have served as a trigger to create chaos in the country
Topics Change, cause and effectc1

Word Originearly 17th cent.: from dialect tricker, from Dutch trekker, from trekken ‘to pull’.