set (someone or something) to work (on something)
set (someone or something) to work (on something)
To order, instruct, or schedule someone or program something to undertake a task or begin working on something. I set the students to work on writing their college applications. Our neighbor owns a farm, so we've asked him to set our son to work for the summer. We can set the machine to work on sorting the various packages.
See also: set, work
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
set someone or something to work
to start someone or something working; to cause someone or something to begin functioning. The captain set everyone to work repairing the tears in the fabric of the sails. We will set the machines to work at the regular time.
See also: set, work
set to work (on someone or something)
to begin working on someone or something. We have finished questioning Tom, so we will set to work on Fred. We set to work on dinner at noon.
See also: set, work
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
- a whack at (something)
- (someone or something) promises well
- a slew of (something)
- a/the feel of (something)
- a necessary evil
- (I) wouldn't (do something) if I were you
- (have) got something going (with someone)
- a straw will show which way the wind blows
- accompanied by
- accompanied by (someone or something)