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Synonyms

set upon

British  

verb

  1. (intr, preposition) to attack

    three thugs set upon him
"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 upon Idioms  

  1. see set on.

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.

As civil rights cases came before him, he set upon a path of trying to learn about the history of race in this country.

From Slate • Jan. 6, 2025

The Lord Mayor of London, accompanied by army officers, personally ripped down festive decorations from the doors of homes and churches, only to be set upon by jeering crowds that caused his horse to bolt.

From Salon • Dec. 24, 2024

Some outdoor sculptural elements can beckon loudly from a distance — when a formal pot is shown off in a formally designed garden, for example, perhaps set upon a plinth.

From Seattle Times • May 8, 2024

She had been walking with a male companion when they were set upon by a bear.

From BBC • Mar. 16, 2024

Lexie sighed and set upon the rack with reverence.

From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng

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.