as in describing
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
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 setting out
In 1930s Scotland, a grieving teen defies his family and town by setting out to prove the existence of a mysterious creature, hoping to preserve the magic of his community and protect it from industrial ruin.
—
Matt Grobar, Deadline, 10 Nov. 2025
The actress and producer is also setting out on directing her own feature film for the first time with a new movie titled A Tree Is Blue, which will costar Jessica Alba and Charli xcx.
—Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 3 Nov. 2025
The fastest way to a stressful hosting experience is by micro-managing and trying to do everything yourself, from setting out food and drink to cleaning up to fluttering around to ensure nothing is going wrong.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 18 Oct. 2025
GlaxoSmithKline chief Emma Walmsley will leave the job in December, almost a year before her notice period expires (though she’ll be paid the full period), and just weeks after setting out her strategic plan for the drugmaker in an interview with Semafor’s Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson.
—Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 30 Sep. 2025
What to know about hiking in extreme heat The past few months, several disappearances have occurred involving hikers setting out on multi-day excursions who are never seen again.
—Megan Forrester, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2025
When the pastel mini totes launched in April, Trader Joe’s stores began setting out announcement signs a few weeks beforehand, toward the end of March.
—Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Aug. 2025
And if Super Core is any indication, that’s exactly what Kroma is setting out to do.
—Gabby Shacknai, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Adding another title to Rupert Murdoch‘s media empire, The California Post is setting out to cover politics, local news, business, entertainment and sports in the nation’s most populous state, while drawing and building on the venerable New York paper’s national coverage.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 5 Aug. 2025
Matt Grobar, Deadline, 10 Nov. 2025
The actress and producer is also setting out on directing her own feature film for the first time with a new movie titled A Tree Is Blue, which will costar Jessica Alba and Charli xcx.
—Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 3 Nov. 2025
The fastest way to a stressful hosting experience is by micro-managing and trying to do everything yourself, from setting out food and drink to cleaning up to fluttering around to ensure nothing is going wrong.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 18 Oct. 2025
GlaxoSmithKline chief Emma Walmsley will leave the job in December, almost a year before her notice period expires (though she’ll be paid the full period), and just weeks after setting out her strategic plan for the drugmaker in an interview with Semafor’s Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson.
—Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 30 Sep. 2025
What to know about hiking in extreme heat The past few months, several disappearances have occurred involving hikers setting out on multi-day excursions who are never seen again.
—Megan Forrester, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2025
When the pastel mini totes launched in April, Trader Joe’s stores began setting out announcement signs a few weeks beforehand, toward the end of March.
—Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Aug. 2025
And if Super Core is any indication, that’s exactly what Kroma is setting out to do.
—Gabby Shacknai, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Adding another title to Rupert Murdoch‘s media empire, The California Post is setting out to cover politics, local news, business, entertainment and sports in the nation’s most populous state, while drawing and building on the venerable New York paper’s national coverage.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 5 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for setting out
Verb
-
The paper describing the system has been published in the journal Radiation Measurements, and is open access so that others may benefit from the findings.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
28 Jan. 2026
-
But O'Hara said he's seen no evidence that Pretti brandished a weapon, describing him as someone who appeared to be lawfully recording law enforcement activity while legally carrying a firearm.—
Sarah N. Lynch,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In the 18th and 19th centuries, this square was the site of a slave market; today, bronze sculptures depicting scenes of branding and auctioning stand in memory of that brutal past.—
Caitlin Gunther,
Travel + Leisure,
12 Jan. 2026
-
British law prohibits distribution of deepfake imagery depicting adults.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Rhodes has been a babyface—effectively portraying this same character—dating back to when AEW opened its doors in 2019.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
-
After portraying Olympic-level rivals on screen, Storrie and Williams will have the opportunity to play a role in the real-life Games.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Setting out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/setting%20out. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
