SET-TO Synonyms: 101 Similar and Opposite Words

set (to) 1 of 2

verb

Definition of set (to)

as in to settle (down)

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set-to

2 of 2

noun

ˈset-ˌtü

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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for set (to)

Noun

Look, says everyone, at the movement of the heavens, look at the public, look at that man’s quarrel, at this man’s pulse, at another man’s will; in short, always look high or low, or to one side, or in front, or behind you.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 31 Aug. 2026
The Department of Defense’s quarrel with Anthropic began earlier this year after the company refused to remove internal safety guardrails that would prevent the military from using its Claude AI model in autonomous weapons and mass surveillance.

— Hadas Gold, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of quarrel

Noun

The Honda continues down the street and crashes into a parked car, as Good’s wife, Becca Good, who was recording the altercation, runs after it.

— Emily Witt, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
Detectives found that Spencer was involved in an altercation with a man inside the library before the stabbing.

— Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of altercation

Noun

The planned center for arbitrating investment and commercial disputes, for example, will sit within the Syrian Investment Authority, which is itself attached to the presidency.

— Jesse Marks, Foreign Affairs, 31 Aug. 2026
Adair died in jail following a dispute with deputies, including Fatherley, who knelt on his back.

— Sofi Zeman August 31, Kansas City Star, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of dispute

Noun

After many decades of organizing, speaking, writing, agitating — and weathering the constant controversy that courted — Steinem kept going.

— Adam Carlson, PEOPLE, 3 Sep. 2026
George Lucas, for his part, has suggested that bringing the Lucas Museum to fruition—a project beset by delays and controversy that has taken nearly a decade to realize—was a herculean effort.

— Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of controversy

Noun

Roth’s name had disappeared from the case, typically a sign of disagreement or discomfort with the arguments being made.

— Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026
The disagreement is over the NCAA's new rule that grants players five seasons of eligibility, but did not include those who graduated from high school in 2022.

— ABC News, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of disagreement

Noun

Mayer had some early success with her jab, but Cameron increasingly took control as the fight progressed and landed the cleaner punches before hurting Mayer with a right hand in the eighth round.

— Amelie Claydon, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2026
Metchie was very much on the bubble of the 53-man roster, and he was outperformed by his peers, even if not by much in this rock-fight of a contest.

— Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of fight

Noun

The earliest arguments for the non-existence of time go back to the pre-Socratic Greek philosopher, Parmenides of Elea, in southwest Italy, who flourished in the fifth century BCE.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2026
The central legal argument made by the petitioners revolved around the Kansas Public Speech Protection Act, a law designed to safeguard the constitutional rights of a person to petition and prevent lawsuits that silence public participation.

— Cuyler Dunn, Kansas City Star, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of argument

Noun

After the fight, Shakur allegedly got into a brawl with Anderson, a member of the South Side Compton Crips gang who had attempted to steal a Death Row Records medallion from a member of Shakur’s entourage.

— Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026
The inciting incident behind the murder of one of the greatest rappers of all time very well might have been triggered by an ostensibly insignificant brawl at a mall Foot Locker.

— Jeff Weiss, HollywoodReporter, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of brawl

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.

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settlings

set (to)

set-to

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“Set (to).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/set%20%28to%29. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of set (to)

verb

noun

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