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
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
And if Super Core is any indication, that’s exactly what Kroma is setting out to do.
—Gabby Shacknai, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025
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
And if Super Core is any indication, that’s exactly what Kroma is setting out to do.
—Gabby Shacknai, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for setting out
Verb
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Austin, 13, can be heard calmly describing the situation and asking for a helicopter to search for his mother and two siblings in a recording released by the Western Australia Police Force on Wednesday.—
Jack Guy,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
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The other agents in the car continued to lie when describing the circumstances of the shooting to the FBI, including in a diagram that purported to show three cars in front of the agents’ Tahoe blocking them from moving forward.—
Jason Meisner,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The video featured footage depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes.—
Staff Author,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Feb. 2026
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One retiring House Republican told Semafor that Thursday’s Trump post depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes validated the choice to leave Capitol Hill.—
Shelby Talcott,
semafor.com,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Jacobus started his career in finance in the early 1990s, but that quickly spiraled into him falsely portraying himself as a seasoned financial advisor who managed legitimate investment portfolios, authorities said.—
Devoun Cetoute,
Miami Herald,
7 Feb. 2026
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Hollywood did end up telling that story, with Ben Foster ultimately portraying the actor as a villain in the 2015 movie The Program, which Armstrong was not a part of.—
Justin Kroll,
Deadline,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Setting out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/setting%20out. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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