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Glite Dictionary
to set ahead

to set ahead

3.2
To move a clock or watch forward to show a later time
  • phrasal verb
  • /sɛt əˈhɛd/
translation icon : adelantar
  • Before leaving for vacation, she decided to set ahead the clock in the living room by one hour.

Examples

  • To enjoy the longer evenings, they set ahead their clocks for Daylight Saving Time.

  • -We did our utmost to have it set ahead.

    Ninotchka (1939)

  • He had to set ahead his watch so that he wouldn't be late for the meeting.

Synonyms

to advance
vsto set ahead
417 3.4

To help something move forward or become better

is specifically about shifting an object's time forward to a later time
to put the clock forward
vsto set ahead
  • UK
3.9

To set a clock one hour ahead for daylight saving time

is the general act of moving things forward in time, not just timepieces

How Far

to set ahead
3.2

Surface Forms

set ahead infinitive
set ahead past
set ahead past participle
setting ahead present participle
sets ahead third person singular

Morphology

set + ahead

The meaning 'move something forward (e.g. a clock)' follows directly from combining 'set' (to place or adjust) with 'ahead' (forward/in advance). This is a regular compositional pattern for talking about advancing time and has close equivalents in many languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should be able to infer the meaning.

Etymology

Set ahead comes from the simple image of moving a clock forward: you set (adjust) the hands ahead so the time is later. That's why it means 'to move something, especially a clock or watch, forward'.