set off
[verb]
Synonyms:
- leave, depart, embark, start out
- detonate, explode, ignite

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English Thesaurus: explode, go off, blow up, erupt, burst, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

set off phrasal verb (see also set)

1. to start to go somewhere:
I’ll set off early to avoid the traffic.
set off for
Jerry and I set off on foot for the beach.

2. set something ↔ off to make something start happening, especially when you do not intend to do so:
News that the claims might be true set off widespread panic.
Hong Kong’s stock market fell, setting off a global financial crisis.

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In written English, people often say that something triggers a particular reaction or event, rather than sets it off, because it sounds more formal:
This could trigger a global financial crisis.

3. set something ↔ off to make an alarm start ringing:
Smoke from a cigarette will not normally set off a smoke alarm.

4. set something ↔ off to make a bomb explode, or cause an explosion:
Any movement could have set off the bomb.

5. set something ↔ off if a piece of clothing, colour, decoration etc sets something off, it makes it look attractive:
The blue sundress set off her long blonde hair.

6. set somebody off to make someone start laughing, crying, or talking about something:
Don’t mention what happened – you’ll only set her off again.

7. set something off against tax to officially record the money you have spent on something connected with your job, in order to reduce the amount of tax you have to pay:
Some expenses can be set off against tax.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

explode verb [intransitive] if a bomb explodes, it bursts suddenly and violently with a loud noise:
A bomb exploded in a crowded metro station this morning, killing five people.
go off phrasal verb if a bomb goes off, it explodes. Go off is less formal than explode and is the usual phrase to use in everyday English:
Luckily the station was empty when the bomb went off.
As many as ten bombs went off across the city, most of them car bombs.
blow up phrasal verb if a building, car, plane etc blows up, it bursts suddenly and violently into pieces, causing a lot of damage:
The plane blew up in mid-air, killing all the passengers and crew.
In early 1986, a US space shuttle blew up shortly after launch.
erupt /ɪˈrʌpt/ verb [intransitive] if a volcano erupts, it explodes and sends smoke and rock into the sky:
The volcano has erupted at least fifteen times since 1883.
burst verb [intransitive] if something that has air or liquid inside it bursts, it explodes and the air or liquid comes out:
One of the water pipes had burst.
The plane caught fire after its tyre burst on landing.
set off phrasal verb to make a bomb explode, either deliberately or accidentally. Set off is less formal than explode and is the usual phrase to use in everyday English:
The group set off a bomb outside a crowded cafe in Izmir last September.
Police say radio signals were probably used to set the bomb off.
detonate /ˈdetəneɪt/ verb [transitive] to make a bomb explode, especially by using special equipment. Detonate is a more technical word than set off:
Army experts detonated the bomb safely in a nearby field.
The 200 kg bomb was detonated by terrorists using a remote-control device.
let off phrasal verb British English to deliberately make a bomb explode:
Terrorists let off a bomb in the city centre.
The bomb was let off shortly before 3 pm.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

explode verb [transitive] to make a bomb burst suddenly and violently with a loud noise:
The terrorists planned to explode a car bomb outside the US embassy.
set off phrasal verb to make a bomb explode, either deliberately or accidentally. Set off is less formal than explode and is the usual phrase to use in everyday English:
The group set off a bomb outside a crowded cafe in Izmir last September.
Police say radio signals were probably used to set the bomb off.
detonate /ˈdetəneɪt/ verb [transitive] to make a bomb explode, especially by using special equipment. Detonate is a more technical word than set off:
Army experts detonated the bomb safely in a nearby field.
The 200 kg bomb was detonated by terrorists using a remote-control device.
let off phrasal verb British English to deliberately make a bomb explode:
Terrorists let off a bomb in the city centre.
The bomb was let off shortly before 3 pm.
blow up phrasal verb to make a building, car, plane etc explode:
He was involved in a plot to blow up a passenger jet.
He struck a match and blew the whole place up.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

leave:
Just as I was leaving the house, the phone rang.
We left early to avoid the traffic.
go especially spoken to leave somewhere:
Come on, boys, it’s time to go.
When does the next bus go?
set off especially British English to leave somewhere and begin a journey:
The following day we set off for Vienna.
take off if a plane takes off, it leaves the ground at the beginning of a flight:
Our plane took off late because of the fog.
emigrate to leave your own country in order to live permanently in another country:
In 2002, his family emigrated to New Zealand.
depart formal to leave – used especially about trains, buses, planes etc:
Coaches depart for the airport every 30 minutes.
graduate to successfully finish your studies at a college or university, or at an American high school:
Kelly graduated from Harvard with a degree in East Asian Studies.
Approximately 80% of Americans graduate from high school.
drop out to leave school, college, or university before your course of study has finished, because you do not want to continue with it:
I failed my first year exams and decided to drop out and get a job.
quit American English to leave school without finishing your course of study:
He quit school at fourteen to work and help support his family.
resign to officially announce that you have decided to leave your job:
The company director was forced to resign over the scandal.
hand in your notice/resignation to write an official letter to your employer saying that you are going to leave your job on a particular date:
You have to hand in your notice at least four weeks before you leave.
retire to leave your job in order to stop working permanently, usually because you have reached the age when most people stop working:
After forty years of working for the bank, Karl retired in May.
He had to retire because of ill health.
annual leave (=an amount of time that you are allowed away from work for holidays etc)
Annual leave is 22 days plus public holidays.
maternity leave (=time that a mother is allowed away from work to have and take care of a new baby)
Two teachers were off on maternity leave.
paternity leave (=time that a father is allowed away from work to take care of a new baby)
He got five days’ paternity leave.
parental leave (=time that a parent is allowed away from work to take care of a child)
Parental leave is often unpaid.
sick leave (also medical leave American English) (=time that you are allowed away from work because you are ill)
The form must be filled in as soon as you return from sick leave.
compassionate leave (=time that you are allowed away from work because someone in your family is very ill or has died)
Eileen was given compassionate leave to go to the funeral.
paid/unpaid leave
She took three days unpaid leave in order to help her daughter.
home leave (=time that you are allowed to spend at home from a job that is far away, for example in the army, or from prison)
Roberts had failed to return from home leave, and there was a warrant out for his arrest.
shore leave (=time that a sailor is allowed to spend on land and away from work)
Hong Kong was a popular place for shore leave.
special leave (=time that you are allowed away from work for a special reason)
Some firms grant special leave when you move house.
study leave British English (=time that you are allowed away from work because you are taking a course)
The company offers study leave for staff development.
sabbatical leave (=time that a teacher is allowed away from work to study or travel)
Headteachers can take sabbatical leave every five years.
indefinite leave (=leave without a time limit)
She has gone on indefinite leave, suffering from exhaustion.
leave entitlement (=the amount of time that you are allowed to spend away from work on holidays etc)
The normal paid leave entitlement is 20 days.
have/get leave
How much annual leave do you get?
be entitled to leave (=be allowed to have as leave)
After five years, employees are entitled to 25 days’ leave.
go on leave (=start your time away from work)
I’ll get the report to you before you go on leave.
take leave (=use the time you are allowed)
I don’t think I’ll be able to take any leave in January because we’re too busy.
use (up) leave
I used all my leave in the summertime.
give/grant somebody leave
He was given compassionate leave.
cancel sb’s leave (=stop people taking leave)
The Police Department cancelled all leave because of the emergency.
vacation especially American English, holiday especially British English time you spend away from school or work:
Are you taking a vacation this summer?
We met on holiday in Cyprus.
What are you doing in the school holidays?
holiday a day that is set by law, when no one has to go to work or school:
the Thanksgiving holiday
New Year's Day is a national holiday.
In 2002, there was an extra public holiday to mark the Queen's golden jubilee.
the August bank holiday (=day when all the banks and shops are closed – used in British English)
break a time when you stop working or studying in order to rest, or a short vacation from school:
a ten-minute coffee break
Lots of college kids come to the beaches during the spring break.
sabbatical [usually singular] a period when someone, especially a teacher, stops doing their usual work in order to study or travel:
She was on sabbatical for six months.
I'm thinking of taking a sabbatical.
furlough a period of time when a soldier or someone working in another country can return to their own country as a holiday:
While on furlough, he and his girlfriend got married.
R & R (rest and relaxation) a holiday, especially one given to people in the army, navy etc after a long period of hard work or during a war:
Soldiers in Vietnam were taken to Hawaii for R & R.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

start to begin doing something:
I’m starting a new job next week.
It’s time we started.
begin to start doing something. Begin is more formal than start, and is used especially in written English:
He began to speak.
The orchestra began playing.
Shall we begin?
commence formal to start doing something:
The company will commence drilling next week.
Work was commenced on the next power station.
get down to something to finally start doing something, especially your work:
Come on, Sam – it’s time you got down to some homework.
We’d better get down to business.
set off to start a journey:
What time do you have to set off in the morning?
I usually set off for work at about 8.30.
set out to start a long journey:
The ship set out from Portsmouth on July 12th.
embark on something especially written to start something, especially something new, difficult, or exciting:
The Law Society has embarked on a major programme of reform.
Jamaica was embarking on a decade of musical creativity.
resume formal to start doing something again after stopping it or being interrupted:
Normal train services will be resumed on April 5th.
Trade was resumed after the end of the war.
get cracking informal to start doing something or going somewhere:
I think we should get cracking straightaway.
start/begin to begin:
What time does the film start?
open to start being shown to the public – used about a play, show, or exhibition:
Lloyd Webber’s new musical opened in London last week.
A major exhibition of her work will open in New York in November.
get under way to start happening or being done – used especially about something that is likely to last a long time:
Construction work is getting under way on a new train network.
Discussions concerning the plan got under way on April 2.
break out to start happening – used especially about a fire, a fight, war, or a disease:
Police were called in when fighting broke out in the crowd.
The blaze broke out on the third floor of the hotel.
kick off informal to start – used especially about a football game or a meeting:
The match is due to kick off this afternoon at Wembley Stadium.
What time will the celebrations kick off?
a good/great start
A 3-0 win is a good start for the team.
a flying start (=a very good start)
The appeal got off to a flying start at the weekend when the group held a raffle.
a promising start (=a good start that makes success seem likely)
Her teacher says she's made a promising start in learning Spanish.
a bad/poor/disastrous start
Things got off to a bad start when two people turned up late.
a rocky/shaky start (=a rather bad start)
After a shaky start, they managed two wins in five matches.
a disappointing start
He accepted full responsibility for the club’s disappointing start to the season.
a slow start
Work got off to a very slow start because of bad weather.
an auspicious/inauspicious start (=one that makes it seem likely that something will be good or bad)
His second term in office has got off to an extremely inauspicious start.
an early/late start
It was long trip so we had planned an early start.
get off to a good/bad etc start
On your first day at work, you want to get off to a good start.
make a good/bad/early etc start
He made a flying start at college, but then he didn't manage to keep it up.
have a good/bad etc start
We’ve had a disappointing start but we are hoping to improve.
beginning the first part of something such as a story, event, or period of time:
The beginning of the movie is very violent.
Let’s go back to the beginning.
commencement formal the beginning of something – used especially in official contexts:
the commencement of the academic year
the commencement of the contract
origin the point from which something starts to exist:
He wrote a book about the origins of the universe.
The tradition has its origins in medieval times.
the onset of something the time when something bad begins, such as illness, old age, or cold weather:
the onset of winter
An active lifestyle can delay the onset of many diseases common to aging.
dawn literary the beginning of an important period of time in history:
People have worshipped gods since the dawn of civilization.
birth the beginning of something important that will change many people’s lives:
the birth of democracy in South Africa
the birth of the environmental movement

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

set off
set (someone) off
to cause someone to become excited and upset.
My sister was an unpredictable young woman, and I never knew what would set her off.

set off (something)
1.
to cause an explosion.
The investigation determined that he probably did not set off the blast deliberately.

Apparently the bomb was placed in a locker and someone set it off with a cell phone.

2.
to cause something to be noticed or make it more attractive.
You look terrific with those black slacks, and the bright blue blouse sets off your eyes.

3.
to cause sudden activity.
Rumors set off a wave of selling on the stock exchange.

If you keep your phone in a pocket and lean up against something, you may accidentally set it off.

to start going somewhere.
He got a Guggenheim fellowship and set off for Mexico to write a novel.

You need to be fit and well rested before you set off on a hiking trip.

When the car broke down, he set out on foot for help.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

set off something
set off (something)
1.
to cause an explosion.
The investigation determined that he probably did not set off the blast deliberately.

Apparently the bomb was placed in a locker and someone set it off with a cell phone.

2.
to cause something to be noticed or make it more attractive.
You look terrific with those black slacks, and the bright blue blouse sets off your eyes.

3.
to cause sudden activity.
Rumors set off a wave of selling on the stock exchange.

If you keep your phone in a pocket and lean up against something, you may accidentally set it off.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

set off
1. to cause something to explode
The fire set off a large explosion on the ship.

2. to decorate something through contrast, to balance something by difference
We painted the trim of our house red in order to set off the light colors.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

set something off
1. to cause something to explode
The fire set off a large explosion on the ship.

2. to decorate something through contrast, to balance something by difference
We painted the trim of our house red in order to set off the light colors.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

set off
v.
1. To decorate through contrast; balance by difference.
The bright colors of the birds were set off by the white snow.
A small gold pin set off her plain dark dress.
2. To balance; make somewhat equal.
Her great wealth, as he thought, set off her plain face.
3a. To begin to go.
They set off for the West in a covered wagon.
Compare: SET OUT.
3b. To cause to begin.
A letter from home set off an attack of homesickness.
An atomic explosion is created by setting off a chain reaction in the atom.
Compare: TOUCH OFF.
3c. To cause to explode.
On July 4 we set off firecrackers in many places.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲