set against
phrasal verbset somebody against somebody
- to make somebody oppose a friend, relative, etc.
- My ex set all our friends against me.
set something (off) against something
- to judge something by comparing good or positive qualities with bad or negative ones
- Set against the benefits of the new technology, there is also a strong possibility that jobs will be lost.
- (finance) to record something as a business cost as a way of reducing the amount of tax you must pay
- to set capital costs off against tax