set about
Britishverb
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to start or begin
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to attack physically or verbally
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.
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
By day three the flip is gone, “and there is no beseeching the island for more. It is time instead to set about the business of surviving.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 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
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
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.
