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.
As he continues a flurry of early policy announcements, Burnham on Tuesday set out plans to strike a balance in the education system between prioritising academic and technical skills.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
The researchers point out that the use of AI doesn’t necessarily mean workers accomplished what they set out to do, or saved time or money.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
It’s what she and countless other historians set out to do when they first started studying the past.
From Salon ● Jul. 23, 2026
Burnham has set out plans to hand city-regions more control in areas including housing and transport, and has promised to unveil a 10-year plan for the economy later this year.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
One of the glasses, set out opposite him, where Warren should have been, remained empty.
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
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.
