set one's sights

verb

To give one's close attention to, especially as a goal, objective, or other object of special interest.

“to set one's sights high”

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Meanings

verbset one's sights (third-person singular simple present sets one's sights, present participle setting one's sights, simple past and past participle set one's sights)

present singular third person sets one's sights · participle present setting one's sights · alternative set sights

  1. To give one's close attention to, especially as a goal, objective, or other object of special interest.

    to set one's sights high

    5 more examples

    His daughter has set her sights on becoming a popular artist.

    Spurred by a real estate boom in which houses that sold for $15,000 just six years ago now sell for upwards of $150,000, the developers have set their sights on Cabbagetown.

    1984 October 30, “Pocket of Atlanta Fights Developers”, in New York Times, retrieved 01 Aug 2015

    Google, known for its cutting-edge Internet software, may be setting its sights on the low-tech radio market.

    2006 November 1, Steve Rosenbush, “Is a Google-Clear Channel deal at hand?”, in Businessweek, retrieved 01 Aug 2015

    Blair has also set his sights on solving another insolvable problem during his retirement: climate change.

    2008 June 27, “Blair Campaigns for Climate Action”, in Time, retrieved 01 Aug 2015

    Mayor Andy Burnham's Bee Network already encompasses the buses and trams, and now he has his sights set on the railways.

    2026 March 18, Peter Plisner, “Will devolution deliver real local control?”, in RAIL, number 1057, page 44
Cite this entry
APA

set one's sights. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/set%20one's%20sights

MLA

“set one's sights.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/set%20one's%20sights. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “set one's sights,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/set%20one's%20sights.

Source: set one's sights on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.