as in to describe
to give a representation or account of in words
in his inaugural address, the president set out his vision for the nation over the next four years
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in layout
the way in which something is sized, arranged, or organized
the setout of the stations at the polling place was a little confusing
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 out
Abigail Hasebroock, Sun Sentinel, 12 Mar. 2026
In the remote Liangshan Mountains, 14-year-old Qihuo and her friends set out to find a skirt for her rite of passage.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 12 Mar. 2026
Why would a country set out to build a capital city from scratch when one—Rio de Janeiro—already existed?
—Sophia La Banca, JSTOR Daily, 11 Mar. 2026
The agency did not set out a definitive timeline for when the release — the largest ever by IEA nations — would begin.
—Steve Kopack, NBC news, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for set out
Verb
High voter turnout marked Boca Raton’s latest election as thousands of residents set out to halt a controversial redevelopment plan and overhaul the current council.
—Abigail Hasebroock, Sun Sentinel, 12 Mar. 2026
In the remote Liangshan Mountains, 14-year-old Qihuo and her friends set out to find a skirt for her rite of passage.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 12 Mar. 2026
Why would a country set out to build a capital city from scratch when one—Rio de Janeiro—already existed?
—Sophia La Banca, JSTOR Daily, 11 Mar. 2026
The agency did not set out a definitive timeline for when the release — the largest ever by IEA nations — would begin.
—Steve Kopack, NBC news, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for set out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for set out
Verb
-
So too is a work ethic peers often describe as relentless, paired with a preternatural optimism that keeps him pushing through setbacks.—
Douglas Robson,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
-
HostArmada's dedicated options are managed cloud servers, unlike the bare-metal hardware previously described.—
Gabriel Zamora,
PC Magazine,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The layout telegraphs multigenerational and flexible living.—
David Caraccio
March 7,
Sacbee.com,
7 Mar. 2026
-
But Berger knows danger lurks throughout Bay Hill’s 7,466-yard layout, which ranked as the fifth-toughest course in 2025 among the PGA Tour’s annual stops.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In the film, Buckley portrays William Shakespeare's wife, who grapples with grief after losing their son, Hamnet, to the plague.—
Angeline Jane Bernabe,
ABC News,
10 Mar. 2026
-
With his leading-man looks nerded down with spectacles, science T-shirts and a planet Earth hacky sack, Gosling portrays Grace as a teacher way out of his element amid hardcore NASA types.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In other words, the sun may not have arrived in a life-friendly environment purely by chance, but rather as a consequence of the formation of the galactic bar.—
Charles Q. Choi,
Space.com,
12 Mar. 2026
-
In another set of images by photographer Ian Recchio, who goes by @Lookunderocks on Instagram, another aircraft, described as a business-jet-type platform, was seen flying below the refueling formation.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
One passage depicts the Bonnie-and-Clyde-like notoriety of Frank and the Bride, leading ordinary women to adopt her wild hairdo and goth makeup (including what are evidently meant to be burns on her mouth and tongue from all that electricity).—
Peter Tonguette,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Mar. 2026
-
The inlay murals are particularly noteworthy, evoking chinoiserie without actually depicting anything too Orientalist.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Trump routinely holds marathon press conferences at the White House and on the road, both in stand-alone formats or pegged onto the back-end of other public appearances.—
Christian Datoc,
The Washington Examiner,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Under his leadership, FCS will look to produce formats and franchises across linear, streaming and digital platforms.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Set out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/set%20out. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
