set one's sights on
set (one's) sights on (someone or something)
To identify, regard, or focus on someone or something as one's goal. Every since she was a little girl, Janet has set her sights on being a fighter pilot. They're setting their sights on you to be their new head of marketing.
See also: on, set, sight
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
set one's sights on
Have as a goal, as in She's set her sights on law school. This expression alludes to the device on a firearm used for taking aim. [Mid-1900s]
See also: on, set, sight
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
set one's sights on, to
To select as one’s goal. The sights in this expression are a device such as a pair of knobs or notches placed on a firearm to help one take aim. The figurative use dates from the mid-twentieth century and also appears in such phrases as to raise one’s sights, meaning to aim higher, or to lower one’s sights, meaning to be somewhat less ambitious. The Economist used it on December 9, 1950, “The United States must now raise its sights, in terms of both manpower and production.”
See also: set, sight
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
- set (one's) sights on (someone or something)
- set sights on
- set your sights on
- set your sights on something
- set your sights on something/on doing something
- have (one's) sights trained on (someone or something)
- train (one's) sights on (someone or something)
- train sights on
- set one's sights on, to
- in your sights