| VERB | creation | set off, trip, actuate, trigger, activate, spark off, spark, trigger off, touch off | put in motion or move to act |
|---|---|---|---|
| motion | set off, depart, part, start, start out, set forth, set out, take off | leave | |
| change | set off, bring out | direct attention to, as if by means of contrast | |
| change | set off, explode, detonate, blow up | cause to burst with a violent release of energy | |
| stative | set off, cancel, offset | make up for | |
| change | set off | set in motion or cause to begin | |
| communication | set off, incite, instigate, stir up | provoke or stir ... / stir up |
| Meaning | put in motion or move to act. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Somebody ----s something; Something ----s something | |
| Synonyms | trip, actuate, trigger, activate, spark off, spark, trigger off, touch off | |
| Cause to | happen, hap, go on, pass off, occur, pass, fall out, come about, take place | Come to pass |
| Broader | initiate, pioneer | Take the lead or initiative in |
| See also | set | put into a certain state |
| Spanish | accionar, activar, desencadenar, provocar | |
| Catalan | accionar, activar | |
| Meaning | Leave. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Something ----s; Somebody ----s; Somebody ----s PP | |
| Model | The children set off to the playground | |
| Synonyms | depart, part, start, start out, set forth, set out, take off | |
| Narrower | blaze, blaze out | Move rapidly and as if blazing |
| roar off | Leave | |
| sally forth, sally out | Set out in a sudden, energetic or violent manner | |
| take off, lift off | depart from the ground | |
| Broader | leave, go forth, go away | go away from a place |
| Spanish | estrenar, iniciar, irse, originar, partir, separar | |
| Catalan | anar-se'n, estrenar, iniciar, marxar, originar, partir, sortir | |
| Meaning | direct attention to, as if by means of contrast. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Somebody ----s something; Something ----s something | |
| Example | "I set off these words by brackets" | |
| Synonym | bring out | |
| Narrower | foreground, highlight, spotlight, play up | Move into the foreground to make more visible or prominent |
| pick up | Lift out or reflect from a background | |
| raise | Bring (a surface or a design) into relief and cause to project | |
| Broader | stress, emphasize, emphasise, punctuate, accent, accentuate | To stress, single out as important |
| Meaning | Cause to burst with a violent release of energy. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Somebody ----s something | |
| Synonyms | explode, detonate, blow up | |
| Cause to | detonate, explode, blow up | Burst and release energy as through a violent chemical or physical reaction |
| Narrower | dynamite | Blow up with dynamite |
| fulminate | Cause to explode / explode violently and with loud noise | |
| Broader | change integrity | change in physical make-up |
| Spanish | detonar, explosionar, explotar | |
| Catalan | detonar, explosionar, explotar | |
| Meaning | Make up for. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Something ----s something | |
| Synonyms | cancel, offset | |
| Narrower | counteract, countervail, neutralize, counterbalance | Oppose and mitigate the effects of by contrary actions |
| Broader | balance, equilibrate, equilibrize, equilibrise | Bring into balance or equilibrium |
| See also | set | put into a certain state |
| Spanish | anular, compensar, contrarrestar | |
| Meaning | set in motion or cause to begin. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Somebody ----s something; Somebody ----s somebody; Something ----s somebody; Something ----s something | |
| Broader | begin, lead off, start, commence | set in motion, cause to start |
| Meaning | Provoke or stir ... / stir up. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Somebody ----s something; Somebody ----s somebody; Somebody ----s somebody to INFINITIVE | |
| Example | "set off great unrest among the people" | |
| Synonyms | incite, instigate, stir up | |
| Cause to | act, move | Perform an action, or work out or perform (an action) |
| Narrower | raise | activate or stir up |
| Broader | provoke, stimulate | Provide the needed stimulus for |
| See also | set | put into a certain state |
| Spanish | incitar, instigar, levantar, provocar | |
| Catalan | incitar | |
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