1
general::
set on/upon sb
1. [ often passive ] to attack someone
• He was set upon by a vicious dog., set off/out
to start a journey
• What time will we have to set off for the station tomorrow?
• Jenny set off down the road on her new bike.
• They've just set off on a round-the-world cruise., set sth/sb back
[ M ]
to delay an event, process or person
• The opening of the new swimming pool has been set back by a few weeks.
• A war would inevitably set back the process of reform., set sth aside
[ M ] PURPOSE
1. to save something, usually money or time, for a special purpose
• He had some money in an account that he'd set aside for his kids.
• [ + to infinitive ]: I set aside half an hour every evening to hear Erik read., set sb up
[ M ] DECEIVE
4. [ often passive ] informal to trick someone in order to make them do something, or in order to make them seem guilty of something that they have not done
• They claimed that they weren't selling drugs, but that they'd been set up by the police., set sth out
[ M ] DETAILS
1. ( formal set sth forth ) to give the details of something or to explain it, especially in writing, in a clear, organized way
• The management board has set out its goals/plans/proposals for the coming year.
• Your contract will set out the terms and conditions of your employment., set sth down
AIRCRAFT
2. [ M ] to land an aircraft , set sth/sb apart
If a quality or characteristic sets someone/something apart, it shows them to be different from, and usually better than, others of the same type
• What set her apart from the other candidates for the job was that she had a lot of original ideas., set sth down
WRITING
1. [ M often passive ] to write or print something, especially to record it in a formal document
• The rules of the club are set down in the members' handbook., set sth up
[ M ]
1. to formally establish a new company, organization, system, way of working, etc
• A committee has been set up to organize social events in the college.
• She plans to set up her own business.
• They've set up a fund for victims of the earthquake., set (sth) up
[ M ]
to prepare something for use, especially by putting the different parts of it together
• We only had a couple of hours to set up before the exhibition opened.
• I need one or two people to help me set up the equipment., set sb up
[ M ] BENEFIT
3. to provide someone with the energy or health that you need for a particular period of time
• A good breakfast really sets you up for the day., set yourself up as sth
[ R ] often disapproving
to say that you are a particular type of person
• He sets himself up as an expert on vegetable growing, but he doesn't seem to me to know much about it., set sb down
[ M ]
If a vehicle sets down a passenger, it stops so that the passenger can get out
• The taxi set us down a long way from our hotel, and we had to walk., set out
1. to start an activity with a particular aim
• She set out with the aim of becoming the youngest ever winner of the championship.
• [ + to infinitive ]: They set out to discover a cure for cancer., set sb up
[ M ] ESTABLISH
1. to establish someone or yourself in a business or position
• After he left college, his father set him up in the family business.
• [ R ]: She set herself up as an interior designer., set sth out
[ M ] ARRANGEMENT
2. to arrange something, usually a number of things, in an attractive or organized way
• The market was full of brightly coloured vegetables set out on stalls.
• Every evening Michael sets out the breakfast things on the table, ready for the morning., set sth aside
[ M ] IGNORE
4. to ignore or not think about a particular fact or situation while considering a matter
• Setting aside the question of cost, what do you think of the idea in principle?, set sth against sth
FINANCE
2. to use or record one thing, especially the cost of something, in order to reduce or remove the effect of another
• The cost of business travel and entertainment can be set against tax., set sth off
[ M ] MAKE NOTICEABLE
3. to make something look attractive by providing a contrast (= attractive difference) to it
• The new yellow cushions nicely set off the pale green of the chair covers., set sth/sb up
[ M ]
to provide someone or something with all the necessary things for a particular activity or period of time
• I think we're set up with everything we need for the journey.
• We went on a shopping trip and got him all set up for the new term., set sth up
[ M ]
2. to arrange for an event or activity to happen
• We need to set up a meeting to discuss the proposals.
• The government has agreed to set up a public enquiry., set sb/sth on sb
to make an animal or person attack someone
• The security guards set their dogs on the intruders.
• If you do that again, I'll set my big brother on you!, set sb back (sth)
informal
to cost someone a large amount of money
• Buying that suit must have set you back.
• That new car looks as if it set you back a bit, Geoff., set sth back
[ M ]
to reduce something to a weaker or less advanced state
• This result has set back their chances of winning the competition., set sb up
[ M ] BENEFIT
2. to provide the money that someone needs for an important task or activity which is expected to last a long time
• Winning the lottery has set them up for life., set sb against sb
to cause one person to argue or fight with another person
• This war has set neighbour against neighbour., set to
WORK
1. to start working or dealing with something in an energetic and determined way
• If we all set to, we should be able to finish the job in a week., set sth aside
[ M ] IGNORE
3. to decide that you will not be influenced by your own feelings or opinions because they are not important at a particular time
• In times of war people tend to set aside political differences., set about sth
to start to do or deal with something
• [ + -ing verb ]: I've no idea how to set about changing a tyre on a car.
• I tried to apologize, but I think I set about it the wrong way., set sth off
[ M ] CAUSE
2. to cause a loud noise or explosion, such as that made by a bomb or an alarm (= a warning sound) to begin or happen
• Terrorists set off a bomb in the city centre.
• Somebody set the alarm off on my car., set to
FIGHT
2. informal to begin to fight , set sth aside
[ M ] LEGAL DECISION
2. If a judge or court sets aside a previous decision or judgment, they state that it does not now have any legal effect, usually because they consider it to have been wrong
• The Court of Appeal set aside his conviction., set out
2. to start a journey , set in
When something unpleasant sets in, it begins and seems likely to continue in a serious way
• This rain looks as if it has set in for the rest of the day.
• If you get bitten by a dog, you have to make sure the wound is properly cleaned, or an infection could set in.
• Despair seems to have set in among the team., set sth off
[ M ] CAUSE
1. to cause an activity or event, often a series of events, to begin or happen
• The court's initial verdict in the police officers' trial set off serious riots., set sth against sth
COMPARE
1. to consider something in relation to another thing and compare their different qualities or effects
• You have to set the advantages of the scheme against the disadvantages., set sb off
informal
to cause someone to start doing something
• [ + -ing verb ]: Every time I think about it, it sets me off laughing.
• She's finally stopped crying - now don't set her off again., set on/upon sb
2. to surround or catch someone and prevent them from escaping
• As he left the theatre, the singer was set upon by fans desperate for autographs.
Cambridge-Phrasal Verbs
5
general::
noun group of similar things ADJ. complete, full, whole | common These two species share a common set of characteristics. | closed, open A grammatical choice is drawn from a closed set of options. | complex | data, instruction a computer's instruction set | chess, dinner, printing, tea, train VERB + SET break up She had a complete set of these dining-room chairs but it was broken up after she died. | complete, make up She won a silver medal in the long jump to complete her set (= of all three types of medal). SET + VERB comprise sth, consist of sth PREP. in a/the ~ There are ten pictures in the set. | ~ of a set of accounts/books/clothes/keys/valves a set of beliefs/circumstances/factors/guidelines PHRASES one/part of a set The plate is part of a set. scenery for play or film ADJ. film, stage, studio VERB + SET design | build | dismantle, take down PREP. off ~ Off set, the two actors became close friends. | on (the) ~ All the cast are on the set throughout. in tennis VERB + SET play | win | lose PHRASES in straight sets Rusedski won in straight sets (= his opponent won none)., adj. ready VERBS be, look, seem | get (used when starting a race) Get set … Go! ADV. all Are you all set? Let's go! PREP. for The Italian team looks set for victory. determined VERBS be ADV. dead PREP. against Her father is dead set against the marriage. | on The council is now set on expanding the sports centre.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary