set the table

Idioms

Also, lay the table. Arrange a cloth, plates, glasses, silverware and the like for a meal, as in Please set the table for eight tonight. [Late 1300s]

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.

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

“I think the one who set the table was Ritchie Valens. He recorded a song in Spanish, a rock ’n’ roll version of a folk song, and he made it a huge hit.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 2, 2025

Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, Hegseth’s hand-holder for the four-hour interrogation, set the table for him with his opening question.

From Slate • Jan. 14, 2025

"Each week, we set the table for a discussion about Joy of Cooking recipes and history, kitchen victories and misadventures, and, most important, what we are cooking and eating," they write.

From Salon • Oct. 24, 2024

Prudence made the spaghetti, while I helped Phoebe set the table.

From "Walk Two Moons" by Sharon Creech

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023