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Synonyms

set off

1 British  

verb

  1. (intr) to embark on a journey

  2. (tr) to cause (a person) to act or do something, such as laugh or tell stories

  3. (tr) to cause to explode

  4. (tr) to act as a foil or contrast to, esp so as to improve

    that brooch sets your dress off well

  5. (tr) accounting to cancel a credit on (one account) against a debit on another, both of which are in the name of the same person, enterprise, etc

  6. (intr) to bring a claim by way of setoff

"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

noun

  1. anything that serves as a counterbalance

  2. anything that serves to contrast with or enhance something else; foil

  3. another name for setback See set back

  4. a counterbalancing debt or claim offered by a debtor against a creditor

  5. a cross claim brought by a debtor that partly offsets the creditor's claim See also counterclaim

"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-off 2 British  

noun

  1. Also called (esp Brit): offset.  printing a fault in which ink is transferred from a heavily inked or undried printed sheet to the sheet next to it in a pile

"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 off Idioms  

  1. Give rise to, cause to occur, as in The acid set off a chemical reaction . [Early 1600s]

  2. Cause to explode, as in They set off a bomb . [Late 1800s]

  3. Distinguish, show to be different, contrast with, as in That black coat sets him off from the others in the picture , or Italics set this sentence off from the rest of the text . [Late 1500s]

  4. Enhance, make more attractive, as in That color sets off her blonde hair . [Early 1600s]

  5. Begin a journey, leave, as in When do you set off for Europe? [Second half of 1700s]

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.

Most energy shipments that set off from the Gulf before the war have now landed in Europe.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

The good feelings have set off a boomlet of speculation that Rubio might mount another bid for president in 2028.

From Slate • Apr. 6, 2026

These events may appear as faint glowing effects, somewhat similar to auroras, and they set off a chain of electrochemical reactions.

From Science Daily • Apr. 5, 2026

Drivers have been advised to set off early in the morning, as congestion is likely to be at its worst from 10:00 BST each day between Thursday and Saturday, and on Easter Monday.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

Vitiligo is usually set off by some kind of trauma.

From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste

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.