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

Stonehenge in June 2024 set against a backdrop of wonderful pink and yellow Northern Lights.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

The British, while struggling desperately to keep India from dividing along sectarian lines before and during World War II, were set against the revival of the caliphate.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 4, 2026

Behind her are large, glowing angel wings set against a golden, cloudy sky, creating a heavenly theme.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 18, 2026

Now, this sprawling metropolis set against the stunning, snowy Mount Damavand is decked out in flags and bunting to mark what's known as the "ten days of dawn".

From BBC • Feb. 11, 2026

She led me away from the house then, to the garden bench set against the back wall—the bench where she and Papi always used to sit on summer evenings when they wanted to be alone.

From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo

Related Words

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