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Synonyms

set down

British  

verb

  1. to write down or record

  2. to judge, consider, or regard

    he set him down as an idiot

  3. (foll by to) to ascribe; attribute

    his attitude was set down to his illness

  4. to reprove; rebuke

  5. to snub; dismiss

  6. to allow (passengers) to alight from a bus, taxi, etc

"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 down Idioms  
  1. Place in a lower position, as in Set the baby down here , or Set the bags down on the hall table . [Late 1400s]

  2. Put in writing, record, as in Just set down all the facts as you remember them . [Second half of 1500s]

  3. Regard, consider, as in Just set him down as a fool . [Late 1700s]

  4. Assign to a cause, ascribe, as in Let's set down his error to inexperience . [Early 1800s]

  5. Land an aircraft, as in The pilot set the plane down hard on the runway . Also see put down .


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.

Beauty reached for June’s hand, said, Come set down.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

In short, Kagan would have resolved this case as a good textualist, operating within the methodological terms set down by the majority’s opinion, minus the major-questions thumb on the scale.

From Slate • Mar. 4, 2026

There is no question this is a long term trend, especially for young people, who often want overseas experience - known as "an OE" - before returning to set down roots.

From BBC • Mar. 2, 2026

I’m not sure how well I measure up, but I do keep a tight, ring-free dining room station and catch a glimmer of my father whenever I set down my glass.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 4, 2026

Ridge set down his milkshake, picked up the phone, and studied it from every angle, his face bright with curiosity.

From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly

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