set-to
noun
a usually brief, sharp fight or argument.
set-to
American
[set-too]
/ ˈsɛtˌtu /
noun
-
set-tos
plural
set to
British
verb
-
to begin working
-
to start fighting
noun
set to
Idioms
-
Apply oneself, begin, work energetically, as in We set to revamping our policy on child care , or She set to studying for the bar exam . [Early 1400s]
-
Begin fighting, as in Both of them were furious, and they set to immediately . [First half of 1700s]
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of set-to
First recorded in 1735–45; noun use of verb phrase set to
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.
See Examples For:
Itching for a robust little set-to, they rode around waving the California Republic’s Bear Flag — which by then was a states’ rights symbol.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 12, 2024
The three-issue set-to opened in Marvel Mystery Comics No. 8 and is an early example of the Marvel motto “to reflect the world outside your window.”
From New York Times ● Nov. 11, 2022
What was most striking about this set-to was how much Warren seemed to be enjoying it.
From The New Yorker ● May 17, 2016
Originally scheduled for July 2015, the superhero set-to will now appear on 6 May, 2016.
From BBC ● Jan. 19, 2014
Dum and I have had only one serious set-to since you left us.
From At Boarding School with the Tucker Twins by Nell Speed
Treasury is set to hold a $13 billion 20-year bond auction.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
The 30-year-old lost the British number one spot to Sonny Kartal on Monday, but is set to retake the position following her run this week.
From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026
The outlook is set to deteriorate further during the winter lean season from November to April.
From Barron's ● Oct. 20, 2026
Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization — a measure of profitability — is set to come in at $3.7 billion, a 10% decline.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 20, 2026
I was all set to go, except what about Boo?
From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko
It’s qualitatively different from the kind of tiredness that comes from an afternoon of set-tos and whining when you and your kid are stuck in a room together.
From Slate ● Feb. 22, 2019
During the day he cares for the inmates, consoling them, moderating their set-tos and tenderly putting them, when the time comes, to sleep.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2018
But the formal strictures of such set-tos mask the fact that debate, in its loosest form, is something most people engage in almost daily.
From BBC ● Apr. 14, 2010
Despite the sister's gabby gossiping, the kids' shenanigans, the marital jawings and set-tos, the dress for the party and the dressing for the party, there are bogeys at the stairhead and phantoms outside the window.
From Time Magazine Archive
His lofty, condescending manner irritated her and, as he seemed to enjoy joking at her expense, the pair had some amusing set-tos.
From Kent Knowles: Quahaug by Joseph Crosby Lincoln
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
