Word.ws English Dictionary

sets the Thames on fire

sets the Thames on fire is the third-person singular simple present indicative of set the Thames on fire.

Meaning of set the Thames on fire

Verb

set the Thames on fire (third-person singular simple present sets the Thames on fire, present participle setting the Thames on fire, simple past and past participle set the Thames on fire)

  1. (idiomatic) To achieve something amazing but to a nearly-impossible degree; to do something which brings great public acclaim.
    • The baronet will never set the Thames on fire, but there seems no harm in him.1817 (date written), [Jane Austen], Persuasion; published in Northanger Abbey: And Persuasion. […], volume (please specify |volume=III or IV), London: John Murray, […], 20 December 1817 (indicated as...

Questions about sets the Thames on fire

What is sets the Thames on fire the third-person singular simple present indicative of?
Sets the Thames on fire is the third-person singular simple present indicative of set the Thames on fire.

Words near sets the Thames on fire in the dictionary

  1. sets the land
  2. sets the pace
  3. sets the record straight
  4. sets the stage
  5. sets the table
  6. sets the Thames on fire
  7. sets the tone
  8. sets the wheels in motion
  9. sets the world on fire
  10. sets the world to rights
  11. sets to

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: sets the Thames on fire (page history and authors); set the Thames on fire (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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