Direct
Direct verb - To point or turn (something) toward a target or goal.
Usage example: we quickly directed our attention toward the noise coming from the rear
Set is a synonym for direct in seek topic. In some cases you can use "Set" instead the word "Direct" as a verb or an adjective, when it comes to topics like adjust, guide, put all of efforts toward.
Set
Set verb - To point or turn (something) toward a target or goal.
Usage example: determined to see the West, she set her car towards the sun and drove off
Direct is a synonym for set in aim topic. You can use "Direct" instead the word "Set" as a verb or an adjective, if it concerns topics such as seek, position, adjust, apply.
Common collocations
Both words in one sentence
- The live-action film seemed to be back on track, as Universal recurited Ari Sandel (The Duff) to direct and set it for an October 2016 release.
- Tons of fans are mad about the next KotOR being an MMO set 300 years after the last game instead of a direct sequel to KotOR II.
Source: Broken Base / Video Games -
Bungie's Destiny is a fairly direct example, set in a distant, fantastical future where intrepid Guardians wielding the power of "The Traveler" seek to reclaim humanity's lost empire from "The Darkness".
Source: Space Opera
Cite this Source
Set and Direct. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/direct/set
Direct & Set. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/direct/set>.
Set or Direct. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/direct/set.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "direct" and "set" have occurred on timeline