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Synonyms

set in motion

Idioms  

  1. Start something moving, give impetus to something, as in A press conference set the new project in motion. It is also put as set the wheels in motion, as in Let's set the wheels in motion for the new library wing. This idiom dates from about 1800. It was preceded by put in motion, which dates from the mid-1600s.

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 there is less optimism over how much this will feed through to people's finances, with fears long-lasting damage has already been set in motion.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

A million substitutions will also be set in motion in the larger global economy in response to the rising risk premium on Persian Gulf oil.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

The researchers found that the crystals, made from an iron-containing compound called heme, are set in motion by the breakdown of hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen.

From Science Daily • Mar. 19, 2026

Their grief and fury set in motion the countervailing force of justice that, no matter how belated, cannot be denied.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 26, 2026

Too much had been set in motion for anyone even to consider postponement.

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

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.