Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

set about

British  

verb

  1. to start or begin

  2. to attack physically or verbally

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

set about Idioms  
  1. Begin, start, as in How do we set about solving this puzzle? [c. 1600]


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

But, he said, "we got up and, with these 10 people, we set about making the sparkling wine".

From Barron's Sep. 15, 2026

An S&P 500 put expiring in a month set about 3% below the current market price fell on Friday to its cheapest level since December 2024.

From MarketWatch Sep. 1, 2026

"I'd heard on the grapevine that she was looking for a song or two, so I set about writing some."

From BBC Jul. 11, 2026

Bates bought Chelsea for £1 in 1982 when they were in the old Second Division, taking on debts of £1.5m, and set about turning around their fortunes.

From BBC Jul. 11, 2026

There was a large fireplace in the dining-room and she now set about wedging the cage up the chimney and out of sight.

From "Matilda" by Roald Dahl

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Look it up. Learn it forever.

Remember new words for good with VocabTrainer. Expand your vocabulary effortlessly with personalized learning tools that adapt to your goals.

Take me to Vocabulary.com