set-up
noun
set-up
American
[set-uhp]
/ ˈsɛtˌʌp /
noun
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Surveying.
set up
British
verb
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(also intr) to put into a position of power, etc
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(also intr) to begin or enable (someone) to begin (a new venture), as by acquiring or providing means, equipment, etc
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to build or construct
to set up a shed
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to raise, cause, or produce
to set up a wail
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to advance or propose
to set up a theory
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to restore the health of
the sea air will set you up again
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to establish (a record)
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informal to cause (a person) to be blamed, accused, etc
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informal
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to provide (drinks, etc) for
set 'em up, Joe!
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to pay for the drinks of
I'll set up the next round
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printing another term for set 1
noun
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informal the way in which anything is organized or arranged
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slang an event the result of which is prearranged
it's a setup
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a prepared arrangement of materials, machines, etc, for a job or undertaking
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a station at which a surveying instrument, esp a theodolite, is set up
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films the position of the camera, microphones, and performers at the beginning of a scene
adjective
set up
Idioms
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Place in an upright position, as in I keep setting up this lamp but it won't stay up . [c. 1200]
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Elevate, raise; also, put in a position of authority or power, as in They set him up as their leader . [Late 1300s]
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Put oneself forward, claim to be, as in He set himself up as an authority on the banking system . [Mid-1800s]
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Assemble, erect, make ready for use, as in They set up the sound system last night . [c. 1200]
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Establish, found, as in They set up a new charity for the homeless . [Early 1400s]
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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]
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Treat someone to drinks, pay for drinks, as in Please let us set you up tonight . [ Colloquial ; late 1800s]
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Stimulate or exhilarate, as in That victory really set up our team . [c. 1600]
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Lay plans for, as in I think they set up the kidnapping months ago . [First half of 1900s]
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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]
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Cause, bring about, as in The new taxes set up howls of protest . [Mid-1800s]
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.
The actor set up quite the sweet space for himself near the show’s sets, taking up residence in the 3,425-square-foot dwelling, which was newly built when he moved in.
From MarketWatch • May 21, 2026
Some brokerages have set up direct feeds to share their listings with Zillow as a workaround.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026
He says that a company email account was set up for Ferguson, but because she never activated it, messages addressed to her were forwarded to a common inbox.
From BBC • May 20, 2026
For nearly half an hour, the soldier demonstrates different types of ammunition and how to assemble and disassemble the Kalashnikov using illustrated boards set up behind him on Haft-e Tir Square.
From Barron's • May 19, 2026
The scientists set up on a clearing just five and a half miles from the volcano, which gave them an unobstructed, closer view of the mountaintop.
From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone
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.
