setting aside

phrase

present participle of set aside
1
as in dedicating
to keep or intend for a special purpose He set aside $100 a month for a down payment on a car.

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2
as in abolishing
to put an end to by formal action The company set aside the old strict dress code and allowed employees to dress a little more casually.

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3
as in dumping
to get rid of as useless or unwanted The professional organizer helped us set aside anything we didn't need or want anymore.

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4
as in storing
to put (something of future use or value) in a safe or secret place She set aside her wedding dress in case her own daughter might want to wear it some day.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of setting aside Márquez justified setting aside the state law because of the social media videos. — Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 7 Oct. 2026 The Guardian breaks down how people are folding screen-free time into everyday routines, from creating physical distance from their phones to setting aside longer stretches without any screens at all. — Ashley Lynch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Sep. 2026 City officials are setting aside the town hall for residents to learn more about the technology and question how it is being used in their community. — Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 15 Sep. 2026 The ranchers decided to write an amicus brief after seeing that eight counties were setting aside money to write a brief in support of the oil companies. — Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026 Yet data consistently shows setting aside a meaningful amount of cash to turn to when the unexpected happens is difficult for many individuals. — Lorie Konish, CNBC, 22 Aug. 2026 The National Association of Corporate Directors reported that more than 62% of public-company director respondents were setting aside agenda time for full-board AI discussions. — Gerald J. Leonard, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026 Even setting aside Bobby’s issues with timing, her design aesthetic doesn’t seem the same. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 14 Aug. 2026 Experts suggest setting aside a minimum of between 25% and 35% of the home's total cost for the down payment, closing costs and moving expenses. — Deane Biermeier, USA Today, 8 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for setting aside
  1. doing away with
  2. disposing of
Phrase
  • In many ways, doing away with passport stamps is the natural next step in digitizing the border process.
    — Bailey Berg, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Oct. 2026
  • That's why Rod Brind'Amour, head coach of the Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes, is in favor of doing away with it entirely.
    — Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of doing away with
Phrase
  • Independent orbital tracking showed that these satellites subsequently both raised their orbits by a few hundred kilometers, a move typically associated with disposing of them into graveyard orbits above geostationary space.
    — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Instead, consumers should follow their local requirements for disposing of lithium-ion products.
    — Angela Rodriguez, Sacbee.com, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of disposing of

Browse Nearby Words

setting apart
setting aside
setting at
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Cite this Entry

“Setting aside.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/setting%20aside. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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