countervail vs set off

countervail and set off both are verbs.

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

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

Other hypernyms of countervail include cancel, offset.

countervail (verb)	set off (verb)
oppose and mitigate the effects of by contrary actions	cause to burst with a violent release of energy
compensate for or counterbalance	set in motion or cause to begin
	direct attention to, as if by means of contrast
	provoke or stir up
	put in motion or move to act
	depart for someplace
	make up for