set on
Britishverb
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(preposition) to cause to attack
they set the dogs on him
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(adverb) to instigate or incite; urge
he set the child on to demand food
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Also, set upon.
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Attack; see set at .
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Instigate, urge one to engage in action, as in The older boys set on the young ones to get in trouble . [Early 1500s]
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. Be determined to, as in He's set on studying law .
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.
The workers received paid parental leave before they organized, under terms Disney set on its own.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
The house is set on a 7,645-square-foot lot with a swimming pool in the backyard and ample room for lounging.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
But when he saw Mexican and Venezuelan army medics giving free services at a refugee camp the government set on a golf course here, he decided to bring his whole family by for a checkup.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026
The 25-year-old has scored 60 times in 53 games for Norway and has his sights set on the Golden Boot at this year's World Cup, with seven goals so far.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
I glance at the little digital alarm clock set on the nightstand between our beds; it’s two in the morning.
From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy
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.
