set fire to

Verb

set fire to (third-person singular simple present sets fire to, present participle setting fire to, simple past set fire to, past participle set fire to or (dialectal) setten fire to)

1. (transitive) To cause (something) to be on fire; to set (something) alight.
   • They set fire to the house.
   • A freight train became completely derailed, blocking the tunnel entrance, and six of the wagons rolled down the mountainside, demolishing and setting fire on their way to a guard house, in which three soldiers were killed.1941 October, “Notes and News: A Serious Swiss Derailment”, in Railway Magazine, page 469

   Synonyms:

   set light, set on fire, torch

2. (figuratively, transitive) To destroy or dismantle (something).
   • As soon as the new CEO arrived, he started setting fire to the old way of doing things.
3. (figuratively, transitive) To stir up intense emotion or action in (something).
   • All it took was one word to set fire to the crowd.

   Synonyms:

   set on fire