Word.ws English Dictionary

setting the pace

setting the pace is the present participle and gerund of set the pace.

Meaning of set the pace

Verb

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

  1. To establish the speed for a group to move at, for example in a race.
  2. (idiomatic) To establish a common goal by example.
    • In May 2003, South Africa set the pace by banning thin plastic bags and imposing a tax on thick ones.

Questions about setting the pace

What is setting the pace the present participle and gerund of?
Setting the pace is the present participle and gerund of set the pace.

Words near setting the pace in the dictionary

  1. setting the bar
  2. setting the cat among the pigeons
  3. setting the heather alight
  4. setting the heather on fire
  5. setting the land
  6. setting the pace
  7. setting the record straight
  8. setting the stage
  9. setting the table
  10. setting the Thames on fire
  11. setting the tone

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: setting the pace (page history and authors); set the pace (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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