set to work

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set to work (third-person singular simple present sets to work, present participle setting to work, simple past and past participle set to work)

1. (intransitive, idiomatic) To begin working.

   As soon as he got home, he went to his desk and set to work.

   Everyday he sets to work at the new assignments.

2. (intransitive, idiomatic, with gerund) To begin working at.

   As soon as I could, I set to work making the entries.

   • 2023 March 8, Paul Salveson, “Fond farewells to two final trains...”, in RAIL, number 978, page 55:

     The Crescent Road sheds had a favourite locomotive - Stanier 4MT tank engine 42626 (known by Bolton locomen as 'two half-dollars') - and the shed authorities quietly arranged for it to be put to one side for a few days, while the ardent schoolboys set to work cleaning it.

3. (transitive) To cause to begin working.

   I will immediately set them to work.

   I was setting the children to work cleaning their rooms.

   I set the pump to work getting the water out of the basement.

   • 1940 December, O. S. M. Raw, “The Rhodesia Railways—II”, in Railway Magazine, page 640:

     The 13th class were the first Garratts on the line and on arrival were set to work on the Villa [sic: Vila] Machado-Umtali section, increasing the train load from the 350 tons hauled by the 9th class to 450 tons.

   Synonym: put to work

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