as in to assault
to take sudden, violent action against
without warning, bandits would set on unwary merchants as they traveled along the Silk Road
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for set on
Verb
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He was booked on charges related to assault with a deadly weapon, felony vandalism and probation violation.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Feb. 2026 -
Three years after the incident involving Cordell, a prisoner claimed he was assaulted, choked and Tazed by Hadder while on day release for a family reunion at a Waffle House.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Mobs attacked television vans and set cars ablaze as overrun hospitals struggled to cope with scores of injured people.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
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The complication is not well understood but appears to be the result of the virus prompting the immune system to attack a certain protein that some brain cells produce.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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As recently as December, police raided a gay-friendly venue in the nation’s capital, Baku, and detained more than 100 people.—
Ryan Oehrli
Updated February 6,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Feb. 2026
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Police raided Mitchell’s Vallejo home and found the gun, an extended magazine, and body armor, according to the criminal complaint.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In August 2024, students stormed her official residence, smashing walls and looting its contents, forcing her to flee into neighboring India and exile.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
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In their defense, the horn sounded, and the clock showed zeroes, so legions of Tar Heel blue stormed the court.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In 2024, famine had struck five other areas in North Darfur and also Sudan's Nuba Mountains region.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
6 Feb. 2026
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Three months ago, GE Vernova struck a $50 million partnership with MIT, covering research funding, graduate student fellowships, internships, and professional development programs for its own executives.—
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson,
semafor.com,
6 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Set on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/set%20on. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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