Housework, Exercise, or Recreation (Do), Preparation & Arrangement (Set), Influence & Control (Set) and 1 More Topics · English Collocations: Do Set Go

to create a visual representation using various mediums such as pencils, pens, or paints on a surface like paper or canvas

"She did a drawing of a cat."

"The talented child decided to do a drawing of her pet dog for the school art competition."

to engage in physical activity, typically for the purpose of improving one's fitness, health, or overall well-being

"You should do exercise every day."

"Doctors recommend that you do exercise for at least thirty minutes every single day to stay healthy."

to perform a series of physical movements and exercises that require strength, flexibility, and coordination

"She does gymnastics at a local club."

"My little sister wants to do gymnastics because she loves watching the Olympic athletes flip and jump."

to style, groom, or arrange one's hair

"I need to do my hair before the party."

"The girl spent an hour in the bathroom to do her hair before the school dance."

to wash, dry, and fold clothing and other textiles, typically as a household chore or as part of regular cleaning

"I have to do laundry on Sunday."

"I need to do laundry this evening because I have no clean shirts to wear tomorrow."

to apply cosmetics and beauty products to enhance one's appearance

"She did her makeup quickly."

"The actress hired a professional to do her makeup before the important award ceremony."

to paint or decorate one's fingernails or toenails

"She went to the salon to do her nails."

"My sister goes to the salon every two weeks to do her nails and get a manicure."

to purchase goods or products, typically while visiting stores or shopping destinations

"I need to do shopping for dinner."

"I need to do shopping for groceries because there is no food left in the house."

to play or participate in physical activities and games that require movement and skill

"I like to do sports."

"My brother likes to do sports every weekend especially playing basketball and soccer with his friends."

to complete various routine or household tasks and responsibilities, typically related to cleaning, tidying, and maintaining a home

"The kids must do their chores."

"The children must do their chores before they are allowed to watch television or play video games."

to tidy up and make a place clean and neat

"We did the cleaning in the morning."

"The cleaner comes to our house every Thursday morning to do the cleaning and dusting."

to prepare and make meals or dishes

"My father does the cooking at home."

"My father usually does the cooking on weekends because he loves to make elaborate meals for the family."

to complete a word game in which one fills in a grid with words or phrases based on given clues

"I like to do a crossword in my free time."

"The old man likes to do a crossword puzzle every morning with his cup of coffee."

to wash cups, plates, bowls, etc. particularly after having a meal

"I will do the dishes after dinner."

"After dinner it is my turn to do the dishes while my sister dries them and puts them away."

to clean and maintain a home, including tasks like cleaning, cooking, and laundry

"I do housework on Sunday."

"My mother does housework every morning before she goes to work."

to press and remove wrinkles from clothes and fabric using an iron

"I need to do the ironing today."

"I hate to do the ironing because it is boring and takes a very long time."

to visit and explore various tourist attractions, landmarks, or places of interest in a particular location

"We did the sights of London."

"The tourists hired a guide to help them do the sights of Paris in just two days."

to achieve or establish a new high or remarkable standard in a specific area, often by surpassing a previous accomplishment or performance

"The athlete set a new world record."

"The young athlete managed to set a new world record in the hundred metre sprint competition."

to arrange and prepare a dining table with plates, utensils, glasses, and other items for a meal

"Please set the table now."

"She helped her mother set the table for dinner last night."

to establish a specific requirement or circumstance that must be met for a particular outcome or situation to occur

"They set a condition first."

"The teacher set a condition for the students before the test."

to establish a direction, path, or plan of action for a specific purpose or goal

"We need to set a course."

"The captain decided to set a course for the nearest port before the storm arrived unexpectedly."

to establish a solid and fundamental basis or groundwork for something

"The builders set a strong foundation."

"The builders needed to set a strong foundation before they could start constructing the new house."

to choose and create a confidential combination of characters or a phrase to secure access to a digital account, device, or system

"You need to set a password for your account."

"You should set a strong password for your email account to protect it from hackers and thieves."

to create an example that others can follow in similar situations

"This will set a precedent."

"The court's ruling is expected to set a precedent that will influence similar cases for many years."

to schedule a notification to help one remember something in the future

"I will set a reminder on my phone."

"I will set a reminder on my phone to call the doctor tomorrow morning at nine."

to make a decision about how something should be done or what is allowed

"Parents must set a rule."

"The teacher decided to set a rule that all students must submit their assignments on time."

to define a specific goal or aim that one wants to achieve in a particular task or project

"We need to set an objective for this project."

"The manager set an objective for the team to increase sales by twenty percent this quarter."

to create a specific environment or emotional tone, often through the use of various elements or actions

"The music set the mood for the evening."

"The restaurant used soft lighting and romantic music to set the mood for couples dining there."

to adjust the time on a clock by moving it forward, usually by one hour, to match the start of daylight saving time

"Remember to set the clock ahead one hour."

"We need to set the clock ahead by one hour because daylight saving time starts tonight."

to adjust the time on a clock by moving it backward, often by one hour, to match the end of daylight saving time

"In autumn, we set the clock back."

"In autumn we set the clock back by one hour to return to standard time."

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."

to define or establish limits or rules that determine acceptable behavior, actions, or access within a specific context

"It is important to set boundaries with friends."

"The therapist advised the woman to set a boundary with her demanding mother in law."

to decide the maximum amount or point something can reach

"You must set a limit."

"It is important to set a limit on how much time children spend using electronic devices daily."

to establish specific conditions or rules that define how something should be done or considered

"We need to set the parameters for the experiment."

"The scientist set the parameters for the experiment before beginning the data collection process."

to create a detailed strategy for achieving a specific goal or objective

"We set a plan for the weekend."

"The general set a plan for the attack and explained it carefully to all his officers."

to decide how much money can be spent on different things

"The committee set a budget for the event."

"The family set a budget for their vacation so they would not spend too much money."

to establish a specific date or time by which a task, project, or activity must be completed or achieved

"Let's set a deadline for next Friday."

"The teacher set a deadline of Friday for students to submit their essays and projects."

to establish or choose a specific date for an event, meeting, appointment, or deadline

"Let's set a date soon."

"The committee finally set a date for the annual conference after months of careful deliberation."

to determine or select a specific time for an event, meeting, activity, or appointment

"Please set a time for our meeting."

"Let us set a time to meet tomorrow morning maybe around ten o clock at the coffee shop."

to establish a firm basis or groundwork for something

"The first lecture set the foundation for the course."

"The volunteers worked hard to set the foundation for the new community centre building."

to establish a specific objective or target that one aims to achieve within a defined timeframe

"I set a goal to run five miles."

"The young athlete set a goal to qualify for the Olympic Games within four years."