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
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Recent Examples of setting out
With fewer people using dating apps, more singles are setting out to meet other single people in real life.
—
Leondra Head, CBS News, 13 Feb. 2026
The two sides also signed a memorandum of understanding and a joint development agreement with Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power and the Saudi Water Transmission Company, setting out a roadmap for cooperation in the water sector.
—Reuters, NBC news, 8 Feb. 2026
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
Leondra Head, CBS News, 13 Feb. 2026
The two sides also signed a memorandum of understanding and a joint development agreement with Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power and the Saudi Water Transmission Company, setting out a roadmap for cooperation in the water sector.
—Reuters, NBC news, 8 Feb. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for setting out
Verb
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Sun Princess has 30 restaurants and bars, so describing each in detail isn’t possible here.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Feb. 2026
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Many Democrats, meanwhile, wondered which union the president had been describing.—
Kevin Rector,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych was disqualified from his event for wearing a black-and-white helmet depicting athletes killed in Russia’s war of aggression against his homeland.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
21 Feb. 2026
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The visitor center museum includes exhibits depicting what life was like for Sinagua culture.—
Roger Naylor,
AZCentral.com,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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This docudrama uses recordings of her actual voice blended with actors portraying the responders who desperately tried to save this child who was surrounded by the bodies of her relatives.—
Brian Tallerico,
Vulture,
28 Feb. 2026
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Her casting, as a white woman portraying an Indigenous person, and the existence of the role itself, later drew scrutiny.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Setting out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/setting%20out. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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