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Definition of setnext
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as in to sit
to cover and warm eggs as the young inside develop the hen set for days

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as in to lounge
chiefly dialect to rest on the buttocks or haunches come over and set for a spell

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as in to aim
to point or turn (something) toward a target or goal determined to see the West, she set her car towards the sun and drove off

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set

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noun

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as in faction
a group of people acting together within a larger group the younger set is less likely to volunteer for the church's annual rummage sale

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as in scenery
the array of painted backgrounds and furnishings used to establish the setting in a stage production built sets for the play

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set

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adjective

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of set
Verb
In California, babies between 15 days and 6 months can only work for 20 minutes at a time and spend two hours on set per day; also mandatory is a nurse, a guardian and a studio teacher, who ensures the baby’s wellbeing is looked after. Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 14 May 2026 Then Mighten, setting a tone, set up the game’s first scoring threat. Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 May 2026
Noun
In an unprecedented honor that recognizes his standing within his home country, Ralph Lauren has been selected by the United States Postal Service to curate a set of commemorative stamps in celebration of America’s 250th anniversary. Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 12 May 2026 The reaction called to mind one of the jokes from Underwood’s set. Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 12 May 2026
Adjective
Guests can design a personal retreat or pick from roughly 150 pre-set programs. Lauren Schuster, Sacbee.com, 9 May 2026 Legal experts say the body doesn’t have a set ideological profile. David A. Lieb, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for set
Recent Examples of Synonyms for set
Verb
  • Set the scene The hotel sits along the Nile in Giza, just across the river from central Cairo.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 May 2026
  • His modest velocity — Giolito has sat between the high 80s and low 90s in each start — is the main reason the Padres are tempering expectations for a pitcher whose contract stipulates he must be added to the big-league roster by Saturday.
    Dennis Lin, New York Times, 11 May 2026
Verb
  • Customers choose a few of the distillery’s popular bourbons, which are sold around the state now, as well as Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
    Emily M. Olson, Hartford Courant, 17 May 2026
  • Drivers can reduce their risk by comparing pumps for mismatched parts, using pumps near the store, and choosing tap-to-pay, mobile wallets, or credit cards instead of debit cards when possible.
    Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 16 May 2026
Verb
  • Historians estimate that about 52% of Revolutionary-era Williamsburg was Black.
    Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 13 May 2026
  • Morgan Stanley estimated that spending on AI infrastructure could exceed $3 trillion in the next two years.
    Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 12 May 2026
Verb
  • The approach was aimed at prioritizing employee safety during the picking and packing of orders and was designed to reduce the distance delivery partners need to travel, enabling faster delivery times.
    Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 13 May 2026
  • For example, if your average fiber intake is 10 grams per day, aim for 13-15 grams per day for the next couple of weeks.
    Lauren Panoff, Verywell Health, 13 May 2026
Verb
  • Daniella Segura California is weeks away from its June primary, in which voters will decide which gubernatorial candidates will face off in the November general election.
    James Ward, USA Today, 15 May 2026
  • This is the third time Weinstein has been tried for a charge of third-degree rape; Judge Curtis Farber gave prosecutors 30 days to decide whether he will be tried a fourth time.
    Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 15 May 2026
Verb
  • However, that 84th-minute goal from Savinho, securing a 3-0 victory, meant a precious spot-on prediction for six-year-old Wilfred instead, taking our boy-wonder to within three.
    Oliver Kay, New York Times, 15 May 2026
  • Through a barrage of advertising and on-campus information sessions, investment banking sold itself as the most attractive, lucrative, and secure job for top students.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 May 2026
Verb
  • Notably absent from the SEC’s motion to freeze Kapoor’s assets and its civil complaint was any mention of his hiring Suarez as a consultant for URBIN while the Location Ventures affiliate was seeking approval from City Hall for a residential and retail project at Commodore Plaza in Coconut Grove.
    Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 15 May 2026
  • Switzerland is a country that feels like it’s frozen in time.
    JD Linville, Variety, 15 May 2026
Verb
  • Her team quickly put together a plan to help coördinate repairs, secure new electrical generators, implement a triage system, and organize trainings for staff.
    Clayton Dalton, New Yorker, 15 May 2026
  • The Bengals, who at one point trailed 6-1, put the game on ice with eight runs in the bottom of the sixth.
    Tony Baranek, Chicago Tribune, 15 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Set.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/set. Accessed 19 May. 2026.

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