setup

American  

[set-uhp] / ˈsɛtˌʌp /

noun

• setups
  plural

1. organization; arrangement.

2. an act or instance of setting up or getting ready.

   The setup of the lights and camera took most of the morning.

3. the carriage of the body; bearing.

4. a camera position, as for a particular shot.

5. 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.

6. Informal.

   1. an undertaking or contest deliberately made easy.

   2. a match or game arranged with an opponent who can be defeated without risk or effort.

   3. an opponent easy to defeat.

7. Sports.

   1. 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.

   2. the position of such a puck, ball, etc..

      a setup close to and to the left of the goalkeeper.

   3. the puck, ball, etc., itself.

      The wing banged the setup into the goal.

8. an arrangement of all the tools, parts, apparatus, etc., necessary for any of various specific jobs or purposes.

9. the equipment or items necessary for a particular activity or period; kit.

   Each student gets a weekly setup of clean blankets, sheets, and towels.

10. a plan or projected course of action.

11. a prearranged situation or circumstance, usually created to fool or trap someone; trick; scheme.

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Usage

See login.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• setups
  plural

Etymology

Origin of setup

First recorded in 1600–10; noun use of verb phrase set up

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

setup setups

But as a fishing platform, it leaves some things to be desired, starting with the trolling motor setup, about $5,000, all in.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026

The back end of the bullpen settled into a rhythm with Tanner Scott serving as the setup man and Edwin Díaz reestablishing himself as the closer.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2026

Mike Proulx, research director at Forrester, said the existing setup had become out of sync with modern television.

From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026

For the head of Goldman Sachs’ hedge fund coverage, this setup is not as bearish as many market commentators would have investors believe.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026

I move up in the line and scope out the photographer’s setup.

From "Merci Suárez Changes Gears" by Meg Medina

While some elaborate “living room” setups are evident, they are outliers, as many beachgoers simply use canopies to cover beach chairs, coolers and supplies.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 5, 2026

By the early 1990s, some crews in the U.K. began throwing megaraves more spiritually akin to experiential carnivals than to more lowkey dance-floor-and-DJ setups.

From Slate ● Jun. 25, 2026

All you need is a 200-watt panel and a “microinverter,” with setups starting at around $500.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026

But this is only a memory — a child’s version of an experience, filmed with all of the bright colors and simple setups of an illustration in a storybook.

From Salon ● Jun. 2, 2026

I was pleasantly surprised when a bunch of kids added their names to volunteer for apartment setups and helping with free music lessons and tutoring for kids.

From "Amina's Song" by Hena Khan

Related Words

• composition
• foundation
• set-up
• structure
• system