Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for set about.
Synonyms

set about

British  

verb

  1. to start or begin

  2. to attack physically or verbally

"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 about Idioms  
  1. Begin, start, as in How do we set about solving this puzzle? [c. 1600]


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:

Once the masks had been packed away and the crisis was over, she set about creating "The Firm".

From BBC Aug. 9, 2026

Verdugo, a retired prison guard and the lone councilman there, set about taking control.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 15, 2026

Feeling like finding this 950-square-foot apartment was kismet, Miranda-Martin signed the lease and set about creating a sophisticated and color-saturated sanctuary.

From Los Angeles Times Jun. 26, 2026

The company found them at Princeton University, where it set about amplifying their work by donating $15 million to start the Carbon Mitigation Initiative.

From Salon Jun. 26, 2026

He looked at the house and he looked out over the dripping countryside and then let the door back down and descended the steps and set about making breakfast.

From "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Join 12,000,000 vocabulary learners

Start learning new words today on VocabTrainer.
You'll remember them forever.

Start training