Influence & Control (Set): English Vocabulary List

to begin a specific process, action, or series of events

"She set the plan in motion."

"The government set the new policy in motion after months of careful planning and discussion."

to describe or create the environment, context, or background for a story, event, or situation, typically to help the audience or readers better understand the context

"He set the scene well."

"The author set the scene by describing the dark, foggy streets of Victorian London in vivid detail."

to set a high standard or example for others to follow

"The leader sets the pace for the team."

"The experienced runner set the pace for the race and the others struggled to keep up."

to cause a fire to begin

"Someone set fire to the shed."

"The angry protester threatened to set fire to the building if his demands were not met."

to create a specific feeling or mood in a situation

"His opening remarks set a positive tone."

"The manager set a serious tone for the meeting by starting with bad news about the budget."

to create a plan or device to catch or deceive something or someone

"The hunter set a trap for the rabbit."

"The hunters set a trap in the forest to catch the wild boar that was damaging their crops."

to show how to behave or act so that others can learn from it

"You should set a good example for your little brother."

"The older brother tried to set a good example for his little sister by studying hard."

to assign or instruct someone to start working on a specific task or job

"The boss set him to work immediately."

"The manager set the new employees to work on organizing the files and cleaning the office space."

to begin a task or activity with determination and focus

"He set to work on fixing the car."

"The builder set to work on the new house immediately after the foundation was finished."

to initiate or establish a new style, behavior, or pattern that becomes popular and influential

"She set a new trend."

"The young designer set a trend that many fashion brands quickly adopted in their upcoming collections."