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• set-up
  set-up
• set up
  set up

  verb

  (also intr) to put into a position of power, etc

set-up

American  

[set-uhp] / ˈsɛtˌʌp /

noun

1. Surveying.

   1. station.

   2. a surveying instrument precisely positioned for observations from a station.

   3. a gap between the end of a chain or tape being used for a measurement and the point toward which it is laid.

2. setting-up exercise.

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set up British  

verb

1. (also intr) to put into a position of power, etc

2. (also intr) to begin or enable (someone) to begin (a new venture), as by acquiring or providing means, equipment, etc

3. to build or construct

   to set up a shed

4. to raise, cause, or produce

   to set up a wail

5. to advance or propose

   to set up a theory

6. to restore the health of

   the sea air will set you up again

7. to establish (a record)

8. informal to cause (a person) to be blamed, accused, etc

9. informal

   1. to provide (drinks, etc) for

      set 'em up, Joe!

   2. to pay for the drinks of

      I'll set up the next round

10. printing another term for set 1

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noun

1. informal the way in which anything is organized or arranged

2. slang an event the result of which is prearranged

   it's a setup

3. a prepared arrangement of materials, machines, etc, for a job or undertaking

4. a station at which a surveying instrument, esp a theodolite, is set up

5. films the position of the camera, microphones, and performers at the beginning of a scene

adjective

1. physically well-built

set up Idioms  

1. Place in an upright position, as in I keep setting up this lamp but it won't stay up . [c. 1200]

2. Elevate, raise; also, put in a position of authority or power, as in They set him up as their leader . [Late 1300s]

3. Put oneself forward, claim to be, as in He set himself up as an authority on the banking system . [Mid-1800s]

4. Assemble, erect, make ready for use, as in They set up the sound system last night . [c. 1200]

5. Establish, found, as in They set up a new charity for the homeless . [Early 1400s]

6. Establish in business by providing capital or other backing, as in His father set her up in a new dental practice . [First half of 1500s]

7. Treat someone to drinks, pay for drinks, as in Please let us set you up tonight . [ Colloquial ; late 1800s]

8. Stimulate or exhilarate, as in That victory really set up our team . [c. 1600]

9. Lay plans for, as in I think they set up the kidnapping months ago . [First half of 1900s]

10. Prepare someone for a deception or trickery or joke, as in They set up their victim for the usual real estate scam , or Her friends set her up so that she was the only person in costume . [Mid-1900s]

11. Cause, bring about, as in The new taxes set up howls of protest . [Mid-1800s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

set-up set up

He compared the stock-market set-up to the dot-com boom.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026

While the ceremony and red carpet is mostly confined to the Peacock Theater, the set-up around it is vast.

From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026

“Starship Troopers” was the Dutch director’s joke about how quickly the U.S. could slide into unwitting fascism, using author Robert Heinlein’s unironic authoritarian bent as the set-up to his punchline.

From Salon ● Sep. 9, 2026

His return brought a calmness to the whole set-up and his batting appeared unaffected as he made 66 on day two.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

We was feelin set-up about Fort Henry and when some of the boys got tard ofcarryin hevey blanket rolls they jest up and throwed em away.

From "Across Five Aprils" by Irene Hunt

“You set up, get you shot, and then you move on,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026

In 2022 they decided to set up Vsim, to build the their own training system environment and other tools.

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026

Mastercard launched an artificial-intelligence payment option for everyday purchases, partnering with the startup Alchemy to allow consumers to set up AI agents for online shopping.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

Amazon in recent years has tried to speed up delivery times, set up warehouses closer to people’s homes and sell more basics, like groceries, in an effort to compete more directly with Walmart.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026

I follow my classmates off the stage, out of the auditorium, and into the gym, where a reception’s all set up.

From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison

Related Words

• arrange
• assemble
• begin
• build
• build up
• construct
• create
• erect
• establish
• found
• inaugurate
• initiate
• install
• institute
• introduce
• launch
• open
• organize
• prepare
• put up