setup
Americannoun
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organization; arrangement.
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an act or instance of setting up or getting ready.
The setup of the lights and camera took most of the morning.
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the carriage of the body; bearing.
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a camera position, as for a particular shot.
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everything required for an alcoholic drink except the liquor, as a glass, ice, and soda water, as served to patrons who provide their own liquor.
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Informal.
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an undertaking or contest deliberately made easy.
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a match or game arranged with an opponent who can be defeated without risk or effort.
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an opponent easy to defeat.
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Sports.
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a shot or play that results in a puck, shuttlecock, ball, or balls being so positioned as to provide a player with an easy opportunity for a winning shot.
a playmaker who excels in setups.
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the position of such a puck, ball, etc..
a setup close to and to the left of the goalkeeper.
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the puck, ball, etc., itself.
The wing banged the setup into the goal.
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an arrangement of all the tools, parts, apparatus, etc., necessary for any of various specific jobs or purposes.
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the equipment or items necessary for a particular activity or period; kit.
Each student gets a weekly setup of clean blankets, sheets, and towels.
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a plan or projected course of action.
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a prearranged situation or circumstance, usually created to fool or trap someone; trick; scheme.
Usage
See login.
Etymology
Origin of setup
First recorded in 1600–10; noun use of verb phrase set up
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Soon, our conference-room AV setup might even appear in 3-D.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026
For router support, Surfshark requires manual setup and supports a variety of firmware types, including DD-WRT, Tomato and AsusWRT, but does not offer a dedicated router app.
From Salon • Mar. 27, 2026
Similar to a real-life version of The Truman Show, the setup recorded every moment of each animal's life.
From Science Daily • Mar. 26, 2026
The setup also creates new opportunities for hospitality and sponsorship tied to the broader campus.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026
I always think of the right punch line thirty seconds to three days after the setup; Libby’s working on my reflexes.
From "Better Nate Than Ever" by Tim Federle
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.