Meaning trap
set off
start a journey
to begin traveling to a place, especially after preparing to leave.
Don't mix these meanings
Same phrase, different job.
to begin traveling to a place, especially after preparing to leave.
Another meaning of 'set off' is 'trigger something'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
We set off early in the morning to avoid the traffic.
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.
Fix the pattern
One small grammar move makes it sound right.
Not: We set off to the airport at 6.
Say: 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').
Which sounds natural?
Tap the one a native speaker would say.
'Set off' is the everyday verb for starting a trip; 'commence our journey' is archaic/formal.
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
set off + journey detail
- early
- for home
- on a trip
- at dawn
Don't confuse it
Related
Other meanings and phrases to compare.
- set off (trigger something) — Another meaning of 'set off' is 'trigger something'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.