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set an example

Idioms

Also,. Behave in a way that should (or will) be imitated, as in Dad was always telling Bill to set a good example for his younger brother, or They were afraid of setting a bad example for the other nations. [Late 1700s]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Pais says he considered moving himself, but that he is staying to set an example for his community.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

To me, a Midwestern kid familiar with winter winds dragging their fangs across her face, Mary’s upright spine and sure gait set an example worth heeding.

From Salon • Jan. 31, 2026

California can set an example for them to follow.

From Slate • Jan. 16, 2026

“I’ve just tried to be more vocal, set an example and hold other people to the standard our coaches have put out for us,” said the 6–foot-6, 315-pound redshirt sophomore out of Ventura.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 19, 2025

Now beet sugar set an example of modern farming that helped convince Russian nobles that it was time to free their millions of serfs.

From "Sugar Changed the World: A Story of Magic, Spice, Slavery, Freedom, and Science" by Marc Aronson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023