set out

British  

verb

1. to present, arrange, or display

   he set the flowers out in the vase

2. to give a full account of; explain exactly

   he set out the matter in full

3. to plan or lay out (a garden, etc)

4. (intr) to begin or embark on an undertaking, esp a journey

---

set out Idioms  

1. Begin an earnest attempt, as in He set out to prove his point , or We accomplished what we set out to do . [Late 1800s]

2. Lay out systematically, as in She set out all the reports in chronological order . [Second half of 1500s]

3. Display for exhibition or sale, as in The Japanese restaurant set out samples of all the different kinds of sushi . [c. 1300]

4. Plant, as in It was time to set out the seedlings . [Early 1800s]

5. Begin a journey, as in They set out at dawn . [Late 1500s]

---

Example Sentences

The team set out to create and share new neuroscience tools by giving cells in the nervous system the ability to produce light and respond to it.

From Science Daily

Changes will be made to "clarify and focus" the committee's remit and set out a "robust and transparent approach" to tackling editorial concerns, such as those about the Panorama episode, and doing so promptly.

From BBC

Daunt set out to remake Barnes & Noble’s culture by giving local bookstore managers responsibility for how their stores look and perform rather than the traditional chain-store approach that valued uniformity.

From The Wall Street Journal

For this study, the researchers set out to observe the TCR in conditions that closely resemble those inside a living cell.

From Science Daily

For the year to date, total exports are down 2.2%, making a decline likely for the year as a whole when data are set out next month.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• advertise
• boast
• demonstrate
• disclose
• emblazon
• exhibit
• expose
• feature
• flash
• flaunt
• illustrate
• open
• perform
• present
• promote
• publish
• represent
• reveal
• unveil