set about
Britishverb
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to start or begin
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to attack physically or verbally
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 previous owners had already done some nuts-and-bolts upgrades, and Walsh and Stewart set about converting the attic into two extra bedrooms and a bathroom.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
Frank Kerr set about counting this money in the registered letter enclosure.
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 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
The society set about purchasing boards and constructing coffins.
From "An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793" by Jim Murphy
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.
