Compound words with SET

SET is a hinge word: 5 words make a compound in front of it and 1 make one after it, so it can sit in the middle of a chain and hold two compounds together at once.

Words that go in front of SET

Each of these makes a compound ending in SET.

Words that follow SET

Each of these makes a compound starting with SET.

Why SET joins on both sides

SET is often said to have more distinct senses than any other word in English, but its compounds use only a few of them: SUNSET and OUTSET are moments, OFFSET and SETBACK are verb phrases frozen solid, and HEADSET and HANDSET are objects named for where you put them.

Bridges you can build through SET

Put any word from the first list in front and any word from the second behind, and you have a three-word chain in which both neighbouring pairs join. Here are some of them.

Play a bridge

KEYSTONE is a free daily puzzle built entirely out of chains like these. You get the two ends and have to fill the two words in the middle. Three bridges a day, no account, no cookies.

Play today's KEYSTONE

Other hinge words

Each of these has a page like this one. There is also an index of all 60.

AWAY · BACK · BALL · BED · BLACK · BOARD · BOAT · BOOK · BOY · BREAK · CHECK · CROSS · DAY · DOOR · DOWN · FALL · FATHER · FIRE · FOOT · GROUND · GUARD · GUN · HAND · HEAD · HOOD · HOUSE · LAND · LESS · LIFE · LIGHT · LINE · LOAD · MAN · MOTHER · NIGHT · OFF · OUT · OVER · PAY · POINT · POST · POWER · ROOM · RUN · SHIP · SIDE · SOME · STEP · SUN · TAKE · TIME · TURN · UNDER · WALK · WARD · WATER · WAY · WOOD · WORK