set in motion

Meanings

1. 1phrasephrasal verb

   to cause a plan, process or chain of events to begin, so that it carries on from there.

   Grammar: Takes an object, which may come before or after the phrase: set the plan in motion; set in motion a series of changes.

   Patterns

   • set something in motion

   The mayor's speech set in motion a long debate about the old harbor.

   Once the paperwork is signed, we can set the building work in motion.

   A single rumor set a whole chain of events in motion.

2. 2phrasephrasal verbformal

   to make a vehicle or machine begin to move or run.

   Grammar: Takes an object: set the wheel in motion.

   Patterns

   • set something in motion

   A gentle push set the swing in motion.

   The engineer pressed a lever to set the heavy press in motion.

   Water flowing over the paddles set the old mill in motion.

Word forms

Common combinations

set a plan in motion

The committee set the plan in motion last spring.

set events in motion

Her resignation set events in motion that nobody had predicted.

set the wheels in motion

I've called the bank, so the wheels are already in motion.

set a process in motion

The new law set a process in motion that will take years to finish.

already set in motion

The changes were already set in motion before the new manager arrived.

Synonyms and how they differ

initiate

Initiate is more formal and usually describes a deliberate official start, while set in motion also suggests the thing will keep rolling by itself.

trigger

Trigger stresses a sudden cause producing a reaction, whereas set in motion can describe a slow, planned launch.

launch

Launch fits a project or product with a clear starting moment, but it does not suggest consequences carrying on the way set in motion does.

start

Start is the plain everyday choice and says nothing about what follows, while set in motion hints at momentum.

Opposites

Word family

motion noun

movement, or a formal proposal at a meeting

motionless adjective

not moving at all

motivate verb

to give someone a reason to act

set off phrasal verb

to cause something to begin or explode

Commonly confused: set in motion or put in motion?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “set in motion”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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