counteract vs set off

counteract and set off both are verbs.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
counteract	No	No	Yes	No
set off	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, set off is a hypernym of counteract; that is, set off is a word with a broader meaning than counteract:

Other hypernyms of counteract include cancel, offset.

counteract (verb)	set off (verb)
act in opposition to	cause to burst with a violent release of energy
destroy property or hinder normal operations	set in motion or cause to begin
oppose or check by a counteraction	direct attention to, as if by means of contrast
oppose and mitigate the effects of by contrary actions	provoke or stir up
	put in motion or move to act
	depart for someplace
	make up for