The Oxford Thesaurus An A-Z Dictionary of Synonyms - set v.

1) set down, place, put, situate, locate, site, plant, position, station, stand, lay, install or instal, lodge, mount, park, deposit, plump, drop, plunk or plonk (down) : Please set that blue box over here. 2) go down, sink, decline, subside: The sun is setting. 3) jell or gel, congeal, freeze, solidify, stiffen, harden, clot, coagulate, thicken, cake: The concrete takes a long time to set in this weather. 4) establish, fix, fasten on, appoint: The date of the wedding has been set for May 23rd. 5) focus on, home or zero in on, pinpoint, pin down: When Ivor sets his mind on doing something, it usually gets done. 6) adjust, regulate, turn, synchronize, fix, calibrate, coordinate: Set your watches to Greenwich Mean Time. Set the counter back to zero. 7) present, introduce, establish, determine, stipulate, lay down, define, indicate, designate, specify; set or mark off, delineate: Who set the pattern for such behaviour? You'll have to set the rules. 8) prepare, set up, concoct, lay, arrange, fix: I think we ought to set a trap for the burglar. 9) set forth, propound, present, devise, work out or up, make up, select, choose, decide, settle, establish: Who is going to set the questions for the examination? 10 arrange, lay, spread: If you set the table, I'll serve dinner. 1) 1 adjust, move, tilt, fix, place, position, lodge: He set his hat at a jaunty angle and strode out of the restaurant. 1) 2 set about. a get or make ready, start, begin, get to work, set in motion, get under way, start the ball rolling, break the ice, undertake, launch, tackle, address oneself to, enter upon, Colloq get cracking: It's time you set about deciding what you want to do for a living. b attack, assail, assault, beat up: The gang set about him with clubs. 1) 3 set against. a compare, evaluate, rate, balance, weigh, juxtapose, contrast: If you set his assets against his liabilities, he comes off pretty well. b antagonize, set at odds, alienate, divide, disunite: They succeeded in setting brother against brother. 1) 4 set apart. a distinguish, separate, differentiate: His talent for language sets him apart from the others. b reserve, put or set aside, store, earmark, put away, lay away, set by, save, keep back: I set apart this piece of chocolate just for you. 1) 5 set aside. a See 14 (b) , above. b annul, cancel, nullify, declare or render null and void, reverse, repudiate, abrogate, quash, overturn, overrule, discard: The judge set aside the ruling of the lower court. 1) 6 set back. put back, hinder, slow, hold up, retard, delay, impede, obstruct, stay, thwart, frustrate, inhibit: Completion has been set back because the materials failed to arrive. 1) 7 set down. a write (down) , put in writing, put down, record, register, mark or jot down, list: The secretary laboriously set down every word the official said. b ascribe, assign, attribute, impute, charge: She set down her failure to win promotion to prejudice on the part of management. c put down, land: See if you can set the plane down in that field over there. 1) 8 set forth. a express, voice, propose, propound, state, offer, submit, suggest, broach, make a motion, move: Hugo set forth various proposals for the expansion of the company. b set out or off, put forth or out, begin, start (out) , get under way, go, embark, sally forth, push off, depart, leave: After much hemming and hawing, Clive finally set forth on his big adventure. c set out, present, declare, describe, propose, state, articulate, enunciate: Hermione's theory is set forth in a lengthy report. 1) 9 set in. begin, become established, arrive, come: Winter has set in quite early this year. 2) 0 set off. a ignite, kindle, detonate, light, touch off, trigger, trip: That little spark set off an explosion that destroyed the entire plant. b dramatize, enhance, highlight, throw into relief, show (off) , display: The engraving is beautifully set off by the new mat and frame. c See 18 (B) , above. 2) 1 set on. set upon, attack, assault, pounce on or upon, fall on or upon, fly at: You were set on by a pack of dogs in the park? 22 set out. a See 17 (b) and (c) , above. b put out, lay out, arrange, dispose, display: The stallholders are all setting out their wares for the jewellery fair this morning. 23 set up. a build, put up, erect, assemble, construct, raise, elevate, put together, arrange, prepare: They are setting up the Christmas displays over the weekend. b start, begin, initiate, organize, establish, found; finance, fund, invest in, back, subsidize: The Crockers are setting up their third shop in Halsted. His father set him up in business. 24 set upon. attack, assault, ambush, beat up, fall upon, set about Colloq mug: The gang set upon him as he was getting home from work. --n. 2) 5 collection, group, combination, number, grouping, assortment, selection, arrangement, series: Brackenhall bought a set of Hogarth etchings from the gallery. 2) 6 clique, coterie, group, company, circle, ring, crowd, faction, sect, gang: The set she associates with think nothing of flying to Rio for the weekend. 27 kit, outfit, rig; equipment, apparatus: When I was ten, my father bought me a chemistry set. 2) 8 setting, stage set or setting, scene, mise en scЉne, mounting, scenery: Hunter's set for Waiting for Godot won a prize. --adj. 2) 9 fixed, established, determined, predetermined, arranged, prearranged, decided, customary, usual, normal, regular, agreed, conventional, habitual, definite, defined, firm, unvarying, unvaried, unchanging, wonted, rigid, strict, settled, scheduled: There is a set order in which these things are done. 3) 0 stereotyped, trite, hackneyed, routine, standard, traditional, unchanged, unvaried, invariable: He made his set welcoming speech, as usual dripping with condescension, to the incoming classes. 31 prepared, ready, fit, primed: Are you all set to go?