SET (TO) Synonyms: 101 Similar and Opposite Words

set (to) 1 of 2

verb

Definition of set (to)

as in to settle (down)

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set-to

2 of 2

noun

ˈset-ˌtü

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

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for set (to)

Noun

Unlike Christian priests and medicine men, who generally command respect, rainmakers are sometimes seen as malicious people who retaliate against whole communities for quarrels with their neighbors.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 20 Sep. 2026
Prosecutors told a judge on Saturday that the encounter that led to a man being pushed to his death from a moving CTA Red Line train earlier this month began with a quarrel that escalated when the victim spat on two people.

— Allison Kiehl, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of quarrel

Noun

The fatal incident began as a verbal altercation that ensued between Bickham and the group of four people, according to prosecutors.

— Allison Kiehl, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026
There was an alleged altercation between Dycus and a player’s parent in the locker room following Monday night’s 42-8 loss to New Smyrna Beach.

— Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of altercation

Noun

OpenAI finished the job less than a day later—timing that has led to a heated dispute between the latter two mathematicians and the company.

— Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 21 Sep. 2026
The dispute dates to March, when the government of then-President Rodrigo Chaves Robles closed Costa Rica’s embassy in Havana and gave Cuban diplomats until the end of the month to leave.

— Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of dispute

Noun

The Drivecast is The Drive‘s weekly podcast that takes you behind the scenes on the big stories, controversies, and characters shaping the automotive industry and the way our roads look today.

— Kyle Cheromcha, The Drive, 24 Sep. 2026
That same year, MOCA canceled its annual gala amid controversy over a lack of diversity among former gala honorees — all straight white men.

— Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of controversy

Noun

If there's a disagreement about who did what, a judge will be asked to decide.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Sep. 2026
Working with Minhaj and Venkataramanujam, both first-time feature writers, meant frequent creative disagreements, Khan says, but never without purpose.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of disagreement

Noun

Dyson is hardly a stranger to powerful cleaning gear, and taking $100 off makes this one much easier to consider if your current vacuum, or even your trusty Roomba, is losing the daily argument with fur, crumbs, and dirt.

— Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 18 Sep. 2026
Police in Brockton, Massachusetts, said he was accused of grabbing his wife by the throat and throwing her into a dresser during an argument.

— Kierra Frazier, CBS News, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of argument

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.

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settlings

set (to)

set-to

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“Set (to).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/set%20%28to%29. Accessed 26 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of set (to)

verb

noun

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