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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.

Her grandad Craig Dixon set about building it and it has been so popular he has had to build a bigger one.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

When Tommy Lloyd set about building a Final Four-caliber team at Arizona, he laid out a plan so bizarre that it raised eyebrows across the sport.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

When he took over as sporting director last winter, Parsons quickly set about overhauling the roster, leaving Angel City with one of the youngest teams in the NWSL, averaging 25 years of age, this season.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 15, 2026

Prime Minister Keir Starmer immediately set about repairing and rebuilding relations with the 27-member bloc after winning the July 2024 election that ousted the Conservatives after 14 years in power.

From Barron's • Jan. 18, 2026

Katz selected a top bunk and set about the long challenge of trying to get into it.

From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson

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.