set off
1 Britishverb
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(intr) to embark on a journey
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(tr) to cause (a person) to act or do something, such as laugh or tell stories
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(tr) to cause to explode
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(tr) to act as a foil or contrast to, esp so as to improve
that brooch sets your dress off well
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(tr) accounting to cancel a credit on (one account) against a debit on another, both of which are in the name of the same person, enterprise, etc
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(intr) to bring a claim by way of setoff
noun
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anything that serves as a counterbalance
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anything that serves to contrast with or enhance something else; foil
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another name for setback See set back
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a counterbalancing debt or claim offered by a debtor against a creditor
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a cross claim brought by a debtor that partly offsets the creditor's claim See also counterclaim
noun
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Give rise to, cause to occur, as in The acid set off a chemical reaction . [Early 1600s]
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Cause to explode, as in They set off a bomb . [Late 1800s]
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Distinguish, show to be different, contrast with, as in That black coat sets him off from the others in the picture , or Italics set this sentence off from the rest of the text . [Late 1500s]
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Enhance, make more attractive, as in That color sets off her blonde hair . [Early 1600s]
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Begin a journey, leave, as in When do you set off for Europe? [Second half of 1700s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
By Saturday night, reports about Khamenei's death were circulating widely, setting off scenes few would have imagined possible just days earlier.
From BBC
The U.S.-Israeli military action set off a rush for food, water and safety.
Detectives said, about 30 minutes after setting off, the girls had spoken to the caretaker of Soham Village College - the local secondary school - outside his home.
From BBC
Falling debris from an interception also set off a blaze at Dubai's Jebel Ali port, which hosts US warships and is capable of handling aircraft carriers.
From Barron's
Titan's merger may have set off the process.
From Science Daily
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
