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
-
The quarrel exploded Thursday, leading to a public back and forth on X, formerly Twitter.—
Anna Commander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 June 2025
-
This was just one of many quarrels between the two that grew more frequent.—
Milena Malaver,
Miami Herald,
23 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
At Monday’s arraignment, when prosecutors revealed the details of the altercation, a judge ordered Horsman to be held without bail.—
Joseph Wilkinson,
New York Daily News,
30 June 2025
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In a now-viral recording of the altercation posted to Reddit, Perry is seen grabbing the other passenger's hair.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
27 June 2025
Noun
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Before the dispute, the Shinawatras and the Huns of Cambodia — two of Southeast Asia’s most influential political dynasties — had enjoyed close personal relations for decades.—
Jim Edwards,
Fortune,
1 July 2025
-
The dispute has influenced Paramount’s approach to a lawsuit accusing it of deceptively editing an interview with Kamala Harris.—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
30 June 2025
Noun
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The marketing department has been working up a list of areas where crime in the streets is highest, and will target special efforts on Death Wish there, hoping to stir up the kind of controversy that will get people to the box office.—
Andrew Tobias,
Vulture,
7 July 2025
-
Social Security has become a lightening rod for controversy since Trump’s inauguration in January.—
Alicia Adamczyk,
Fortune,
7 July 2025
Noun
-
With no deadline spurring action and the clear potential for disagreement on valuation, this staring contest could go on for a while.—
John Hollinger,
New York Times,
7 July 2025
-
Every couple has disagreements, but in my experience, not in such a public way.—
Jeanne Phillips,
Mercury News,
4 July 2025
Noun
-
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
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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
Noun
-
The murder trial was set to begin next month, starting with jury selection on Aug. 4, and opening arguments two weeks later.—
David Matthews,
New York Daily News,
1 July 2025
-
That argument has caught the attention of the Trump administration.—
Daniel Ackerman,
NPR,
30 June 2025
Noun
-
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 11 Jul. 2025.
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