set against
Third Person
sets against
Present Participle
setting against
Past Tense
set against
Past Participle
set against
1
to cause someone to become opposed or hostile toward a friend, relative, ally, etc.
- His lies set the siblings against each other, creating a rift in their relationship.
- The rumor was designed to set her friends against her, causing distrust and division.
- The manipulative manager tried to set the team members against each other to maintain control.
- The disagreement over inheritance set the family members against one another, leading to years of estrangement.
- The political campaign set the community against each other, fueling tensions and conflicts.
2
to compare two or more things by considering them in relation to each other
- The new policy was set against the old one to highlight the differences and improvements.
- The scenic beauty of the mountains is even more striking when set against the bustling city below.
- Her achievements were set against those of her peers, revealing her exceptional progress.
- We set the costs of the renovation against the benefits to determine if it was worth the investment.
3
to balance one financial amount with another
- The company set its losses against its profits to find the net income for the year.
- Tax deductions can be set against your total income to lower your taxable income.
- The repair costs were set against the insurance payout to figure out the actual expense.
- Business expenses are set against revenue to measure overall profitability.
- The investor set potential expenses against expected returns to make a smart decision.