set against
Britishverb
-
to balance or compare
to set a person's faults against his virtues
-
to cause to be hostile or unfriendly 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.
A small white car trundles into view, rolls across the floor, and bumps into a barrier set against the wall.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
D’Angelo’s children introduced the medley, which was set against a backdrop of floor to ceiling windows looking out on a starry sky.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026
It would extend their poor run to only two wins in 10 matches, set against a backdrop of off-field controversy.
From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2026
The film is a story of urban striving set against the backdrop of an emerging crop of skyscrapers, and to stand out from the crowds within them is the protagonist’s ardent ambition.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 24, 2026
He settles on a blank spot above his fireplace, and he hangs it there, making the tiniest adjustments until the canvas is perfectly set against the wall.
From "I Can Make This Promise" by Christine Day
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.
