as in quarrel
an often noisy or angry expression of differing opinions
they had a brief set-to about money, but they seem to have resolved it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in to settle (down)
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of set (to)
Reed Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2023
His truest, ugliest self tends to emerge in his increasingly frequent set-tos with Linda, whose impatience with his documentary persona gradually wears through even her considerable acting ability.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 20 Sep. 2023
The flashpoint for those set-tos was TCC’s purchase of two large, derelict properties on the edge of town.
—Paul Solotaroff, Rolling Stone, 1 July 2023
Verb
Into this unholy mess blunders Juan (Juan Amador), bearing the gushing stigmata of a violent set-to in a Sacramento bar.
—Reed Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2023
His truest, ugliest self tends to emerge in his increasingly frequent set-tos with Linda, whose impatience with his documentary persona gradually wears through even her considerable acting ability.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 20 Sep. 2023
The flashpoint for those set-tos was TCC’s purchase of two large, derelict properties on the edge of town.
—Paul Solotaroff, Rolling Stone, 1 July 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for set (to)
Noun
-
Your celestial ruler, Mercury, will also station retrograde in your communication sector (for the win), triggering misunderstandings and unnecessary quarrels with siblings or neighbors.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
8 July 2025
-
According to writer and historian Geoffrey C. Ward, Johnson had his quarrels inside and outside the ring.—
Marley Malenfant,
Austin American Statesman,
2 July 2025
Noun
-
Back in May, former Washington Commanders running back Adrian Peterson went viral for his involvement in a physical altercation at a poker game in Houston, Texas.—
Justin Grasso,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 July 2025
-
The altercation could be setting the stage for an official showdown between Jelly and Paul at this year’s SummerSlam, scheduled for Aug. 2–3 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. Watch Jelly Roll face off with Logan Paul at WWE SmackDown in the clip below.—
Mitchell Peters,
Billboard,
13 July 2025
Noun
-
Threads on the South Park subreddit and social media have lit up with foul-mouthed complaints from international fans, most of them directed at Paramount and David Ellison’s Skydance Media, whose $8 billion buyout of Paramount is at the heart of the South Park dispute.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
14 July 2025
-
But there are still some sour grapes about the big tactical dispute in February.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
14 July 2025
Noun
-
The marketing department has been working up a list of areas where crime in the streets is highest, and will target special efforts on Death Wish there, hoping to stir up the kind of controversy that will get people to the box office.—
Andrew Tobias,
Vulture,
7 July 2025
-
The controversy in Spain echoes similar issues in Portugal, where Rabbi Daniel Litvak of Oporto was arrested in 2022 amid investigations into fraudulent citizenship applications linked notably to Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich.—
Orge Castellano,
Sun Sentinel,
7 July 2025
Noun
-
With no deadline spurring action and the clear potential for disagreement on valuation, this staring contest could go on for a while.—
John Hollinger,
New York Times,
7 July 2025
-
Pay attention to body language in order to spot disagreement.—
Jack Fowler,
National Review,
4 July 2025
Noun
-
The antibiotics he was prescribed after the fight could have also altered his mind.—
Caroline Blair,
People.com,
9 July 2025
-
Some scenes, like a fight that takes place in an antiproton river in the pocket universe, feel almost more like a cartoon than live-action, and not in a good way.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
Noun
-
Could this argument exempt them from the exit tax, sparing them significant financial consequences?—
Virginia La Torre Jeker,
Forbes.com,
12 July 2025
-
That request may become even more important to prosecutors if Routh is speaking and making arguments for himself at his trial.—
Aysha Bagchi,
USA Today,
12 July 2025
Noun
-
The Hussein family bickers about which MENA ethnicities are better than others.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
24 Apr. 2025
-
Better to follow the West German example and achieve full NATO membership for independent Ukraine than to watch essential U.S. support dwindle as Congress bickers and Trump’s reelection odds increase.—
M. E. Sarotte,
Foreign Affairs,
8 July 2024
Cite this Entry
“Set (to).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/set%20%28to%29. Accessed 20 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share