as in quarrel
an often noisy or angry expression of differing opinions
they had a brief set-to about money, but they seem to have resolved it
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in to settle (down)
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of set (to)
Reed Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2023
His truest, ugliest self tends to emerge in his increasingly frequent set-tos with Linda, whose impatience with his documentary persona gradually wears through even her considerable acting ability.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 20 Sep. 2023
The flashpoint for those set-tos was TCC’s purchase of two large, derelict properties on the edge of town.
—Paul Solotaroff, Rolling Stone, 1 July 2023
Verb
Into this unholy mess blunders Juan (Juan Amador), bearing the gushing stigmata of a violent set-to in a Sacramento bar.
—Reed Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2023
His truest, ugliest self tends to emerge in his increasingly frequent set-tos with Linda, whose impatience with his documentary persona gradually wears through even her considerable acting ability.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 20 Sep. 2023
The flashpoint for those set-tos was TCC’s purchase of two large, derelict properties on the edge of town.
—Paul Solotaroff, Rolling Stone, 1 July 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for set (to)
Noun
-
Victor Bautista got into an argument with his killer in front of NYCHA’s Moore Houses, across the street from troubled St. Mary’s Park, in Mott Haven about 7:45 a.m. As the quarrel escalated, the gunman shot Bautista in the chest near Trinity Ave.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
17 June 2025
-
The canvas brims with characters who casually kill but also love, laugh, quarrel.—
Anupama Chopra,
HollywoodReporter,
12 June 2025
Noun
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Santana declined to discuss specifics of what prompted the altercation.—
Paulina Dedaj,
FOXNews.com,
20 June 2025
-
Santana said the altercation took place somewhere around the seventh inning.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
20 June 2025
Noun
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News to Know Wisconsin lawsuit accuses Miami of tampering In the latest legal dispute amid the changing landscape of college sports, the University of Wisconsin filed a lawsuit against the University of Miami yesterday for allegedly tampering with a football player.—
and Alex Kirshner,
New York Times,
21 June 2025
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The simmering dispute comes as protesters showed up at Dodger Stadium on Thursday to decry Dodgers’ silence amidst immigration raids and unrest in Los Angeles.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
21 June 2025
Noun
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The original, shot by Bryce Anderson, drew a lot of attention and controversy, with many critiquing the image as a provocative and degrading towards women.—
Thania Garcia,
Variety,
25 June 2025
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Red Bull team boss Christian Horner revealed what has changed in Formula 1 over his 20 years in the sport amid the sport's drama and controversies.—
Nelson Espinal,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 June 2025
Noun
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Though the talks fell apart over disagreements on what measures North Korea would take toward disarmament and Trump’s reluctance to offer sanctions relief, the summits ended on a surprisingly hopeful note, with the two leaders walking away as pen pals.—
Max Kim,
Los Angeles Times,
25 June 2025
-
For decades, Kahneman and Gary Klein, a psychologist who researches naturalistic decision-making, had a running disagreement about whether human intuition could be trusted.—
Gabriel Snyder,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 June 2025
Noun
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Amid the physical fights during each game, the broader battle between Gi-hun and the Front Man has always been existential: Are people worth saving?—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
27 June 2025
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Then, in 2019, the Supreme Court ruled that federal courts do not have a role to play in deciding legal fights over partisan gerrymandering, when state's voting lines are drawn to entrench the political party in power.—
June 27,
CBS News,
27 June 2025
Noun
-
The news outlets say that the argument runs contrary to what OpenAI tells its users about being subject to retaining data if the law requires it.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
18 June 2025
-
Where there’s argument is in their belief not just that the Fed was the principal cause of the Great Depression, but that having allegedly caused it, the Fed could have somehow ended it.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2025
Noun
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The Hussein family bickers about which MENA ethnicities are better than others.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
24 Apr. 2025
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Better to follow the West German example and achieve full NATO membership for independent Ukraine than to watch essential U.S. support dwindle as Congress bickers and Trump’s reelection odds increase.—
M. E. Sarotte,
Foreign Affairs,
8 July 2024
Cite this Entry
“Set (to).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/set%20%28to%29. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
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