set out
Britishverb
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to present, arrange, or display
he set the flowers out in the vase
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to give a full account of; explain exactly
he set out the matter in full
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to plan or lay out (a garden, etc)
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(intr) to begin or embark on an undertaking, esp a journey
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Begin an earnest attempt, as in He set out to prove his point , or We accomplished what we set out to do . [Late 1800s]
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Lay out systematically, as in She set out all the reports in chronological order . [Second half of 1500s]
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Display for exhibition or sale, as in The Japanese restaurant set out samples of all the different kinds of sushi . [c. 1300]
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Plant, as in It was time to set out the seedlings . [Early 1800s]
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Begin a journey, as in They set out at dawn . [Late 1500s]
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.
He set out to use the firm’s commodity-chemical sales to finance what Mr. Werth calls “a more innovative organization for discovering new products.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
Researchers at Hokkaido University set out to take a closer look at these overlooked fats by studying japonica rice, the short- to medium-grain type commonly associated with Japanese rice.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 17, 2026
"This is even more urgent now, given the nature and scale of the risks at play. This is why we will set out our ideas to make a European Security Council a reality."
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026
Unless you actually set out to defraud the insurer, the company may not cancel your coverage even if you made a mistake on your application.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 12, 2026
He set out a pan of snow to boil for water.
From "Black Star, Bright Dawn" by Scott O'Dell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
