set against

British  

verb

1. to balance or compare

   to set a person's faults against his virtues

2. to cause to be hostile or unfriendly to

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set against Idioms  

1. Be or cause someone to be opposed to, as in Civil wars often set brother against brother, or The police chief's critics were set against his officers. [Late 1200s] Also see dead set against.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

set against

Inside the black silhouette of a farmhouse, a pristine white washing machine appears at an almost monumental scale, set against flat fields of saturated color.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026

And before the Dodgers opened a three-game set against the Cardinals at Dodger Stadium, Hernández met with the hitting coaches.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026

More legal proceedings are sure to follow since the major conferences are dead set against allowing anyone who has been in the pros to play any more college ball.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 5, 2026

Making his first appearance on Centre Court, he twice went a break down in a must-win fourth set against Dimitrov, before the 35-year-old Bulgarian's own nerves appeared and Fery capitalised.

From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026

Olmsted’s plans alone would make the exposition unique, with lagoons, canals, and great lawns all set against the cobalt-blue steppe of Lake Michigan.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

Related Words

• analyze
• contrast
• correlate
• equal
• match
• measure
• study