set out

set out idiom
  1. Begin an earnest attempt, as in He set out to prove his point, or We accomplished what we set out to do. [Late 1800s]
  2. Lay out systematically, as in She set out all the reports in chronological order. [Second half of 1500s]
  3. Display for exhibition or sale, as in The Japanese restaurant set out samples of all the different kinds of sushi. [c. 1300]
  4. Plant, as in It was time to set out the seedlings. [Early 1800s]
  5. Begin a journey, as in They set out at dawn. [Late 1500s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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