set 1 of 3

Definition of setnext
1
as in to sit
to cover and warm eggs as the young inside develop the hen set for days

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
3
4
as in to lounge
chiefly dialect to rest on the buttocks or haunches come over and set for a spell

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

5
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

6
7
8
9
10

set

2 of 3

noun

1
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

2
3
4
5
as in scenery
the array of painted backgrounds and furnishings used to establish the setting in a stage production built sets for the play

Synonyms & Similar Words

set

3 of 3

adjective

1
2
3
4
5
6

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
So far, the Health Department has announced 35 influenza outbreaks from nursing homes or other congregate-setting institutions this flu season, with none occurring in the past week. Nathan Ansell, Arkansas Online, 22 Apr. 2026 Our on-set photographer is an amazing photographer. Mike Ryan, IndieWire, 22 Apr. 2026
Noun
The former sent out an oversized black and white polka dot skirt—a wink to the retro print—styled with a textured top and gladiator sandals, while Dries Van Noten’s red and white abstract set evoked Mediterranean nonchalance. Minty Mellon, Vogue, 21 Apr. 2026 Not in terms of the scale of its sets—we’ll leave that to the giant staircase in The Queen of Versailles, or whatever is going on with the flying vampires of The Lost Boys—but in terms of the most tropes crammed into one two-act stretch. Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
Suspending contributions to the reserves until fiscal 2029 should be conditional on funds remaining above a set minimum. Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026 More than one year after the fatal on-set shooting, Santa Fe County District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies and special prosecutor Andrea Reeb announced in January 2023 that Baldwin and Rust's armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed would both be charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter. Gillian Telling, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for set
Recent Examples of Synonyms for set
Verb
  • This time at the top of the fourth quarter, when Brown inexplicably sat both Brunson and Towns simultaneously, comfortably nursing a lead that had ballooned as large as 14 points.
    Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 21 Apr. 2026
  • Palace created little, with a functional midfield failing to break the lines and play balls in behind a defence that was comfortable sitting relatively deep.
    Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Keep it simple, stay within your limits, and choose what actually supports you long term.
    Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 26 Apr. 2026
  • Documents show both deputies received Skelly conferences — pre-disciplinary hearings afforded to public employees who choose to rebut misconduct allegations.
    Kelly Davis, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Using Opta’s power rankings to estimate the relative difficulty of each side’s remaining games, Carlos Corberan’s Valencia have the most to fear.
    Thom Harris, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2026
  • Judging from the coyote’s size and the condition of her teeth, Miller estimated that C31F was a 1-year-old.
    Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 21 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • United currently aim to make four major signings, including an experienced striker and a left-back, with Tyrell Malacia departing and Luke Shaw needing to be rested more given the addition of midweek games.
    Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2026
  • Organized by the Malta Film Commission, the festival is set to grow in both scale and ambition this year, with an enlarged program of screenings, industry events and cultural offerings aimed at strengthening Malta’s role as an international filmmaking hub.
    Kennedy French, Variety, 22 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • That April, Valerii decided to sell his Moskvitch in Kyiv.
    Lizzie Johnson, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026
  • By the time Claudia Martínez added a fourth in the 75th minute, Audi Field was buzzing, the result long decided.
    Asli Pelit, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Pittsburgh got aggressive to nab a solid Plan B at receiver (Alabama’s Germie Bernard), generated buzz with a project quarterback (Drew Allar) for Mike McCarthy to develop, and finished the night by trading up to secure a fan-favorite, Iowa guard Gennings Dunker, who potentially fills a major need.
    Mike DeFabo, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
  • The curators Christine Riding and Lucy Bamford have brought together ten canvases that were originally shown in London between 1765 and 1773—the pieces thanks to which, during his mid-thirties, the North Midlands artist first secured a national reputation.
    Julian Bell, The New York Review of Books, 25 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The initiative includes a warrant to seize and shut down a major online recruitment channel on the Telegram messaging app and freezing hundreds of millions of dollars in illicit assets, Pirro said in a virtual press conference connecting her from Washington to journalists in Asia.
    ABC News, ABC News, 24 Apr. 2026
  • The bill has already frozen the build-to-rent market.
    Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The noise levels in the arena reached epic proportions as the Hawks put the clamps on the Knicks.
    Lauren Williams, AJC.com, 24 Apr. 2026
  • Coulombe struck out Austin Wells for the second out, but from there Cora gave the ball to righty Greg Weissert, who allowed the go-ahead two-run pinch hit single to Cody Bellinger and then another RBI single to Judge to put New York ahead 4-2.
    Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 24 Apr. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Set.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/set. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on set

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster