Cambridge Dictionaries online Cambridge Dictionaries online

The most popular online dictionary and thesaurus for learners of English

  

set sth off

Phrasal Verb with set
 
 
/set/ verb (setting, set, set)

Definition

to cause an activity or event, often a series of events, to begin or happen: Cheap money set off a boom in personal borrowing, especially against homes. The proposed sale has set off an avalanche of protest.
(Definition of set sth off from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

“set sth off” in other dictionaries

Word of the Day

a cloud on the horizon

something which threatens to cause problems or unhappiness in the future

Word of the Day

Blog

Read our blog about how the English language behaves.

Learn More

New Words

Find words and meanings that have just started to be used in English, and let us know what you think of them.

Learn More