as in to assault
to take sudden, violent action against
without warning, bandits would set on unwary merchants as they traveled along the Silk Road
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for set on
Verb
-
In one case about a week ago, a Hollywood Hills resident suffered minor injuries when she was assaulted by burglars after the intruders were discovered in the home.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Apr. 2026 -
In the course of the narrative, as John is embraced by friends and assaulted by strangers, Jones’s storytelling veers between breakthroughs and setbacks with a rhythm so mechanical as to verge on metronomic.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
When Sibomana-Rodriguez was 6 years old and living in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, he, his cousin and his brother were attacked by a swarm of chimpanzees.—
Daniel S. Levine,
PEOPLE,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Be sure that the rear lure always has a hook, as the bass typically key in on the ‘straggler’ when attacking a ball of bait.—
Derek Horner,
Outdoor Life,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The company had its offices raided and several bank accounts frozen, according to Malaysian business publication The Edge.—
Angelica Ang,
Fortune,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Separately, police in Moscow raided the offices of the prominent independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta, whose chief editor Dmitry Muratov was a Nobel Peace Prize laureate in 2021.—
Dasha Litvinova,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The start of this one looked like the game in Columbus two weeks ago when the Jackets raced out to a 3-0 lead before the B’s stormed back to win it in a shootout in what may have been the B’s most important win of the season.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
13 Apr. 2026
-
In its election campaign, Fidesz has used a video generated by artificial intelligence showing Magyar storming into a Hungarian home to conscript a young man.—
Christian Edwards,
CNN Money,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
With officers trailing behind, the suspect sped through a red light, nearly striking cross traffic at an intersection.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
This two-piece strikes the right balance between casual and stylish.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
17 Apr. 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Set on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/set%20on. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
