set off — start a journey
phrasal verbB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
to begin traveling to a place, especially after preparing to leave.
Say it like a native
Textbook We will commence our journey at dawn.
Native We'll set off at dawn.
'Set off' is the everyday verb for starting a trip; 'commence our journey' is archaic/formal.
Pattern: set off (for/to [place])
In use
- We set off early in the morning to avoid the traffic.travel
- Last summer, my friends and I set off on a road trip across the country. We planned everything in advance and left just after sunrise.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ We set off to the airport at 6.
✓ We set off for the airport at 6.
You set off FOR a destination (set off TO + verb is also fine: 'set off to find it').
Common collocations
set off + journey detail— early, for home, on a trip, at dawn
Don't confuse it
'Set off' focuses on the moment you begin traveling, not the journey itself.
Related
- set off (trigger something) — Another meaning of 'set off' is 'trigger something'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.