set the table
IdiomsExample Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Explain Bivens doctrine now, to set the table for what follows.
From Slate • Jan. 26, 2026
It could help set the table for Carney to say the "private sector says they want a deal. What can we do?" said Mr Sands.
From BBC • Nov. 25, 2025
“Dune: Prophecy,” a prequel based on Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson’s “Great Schools of Dune” trilogy, has about six hours to set the table and whet our appetite.
From Salon • Nov. 17, 2024
And the other one is not much of a cook, but we’re like, “You set the table, you clear the table,” he has to do the dishes.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 18, 2024
Jam dropped her fear like a winter coat and walked forward to help Whisper set the table as if she was stepping into sunshine, leaving a heaviness pooled on the floor behind her.
From "Pet" by Akwaeke Emezi
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.
