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• set-up
  set-up

  noun
• 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

"As a result, the Google search engine is imposed as the default on Swiss users, without a 'choice screen' being displayed during the initial set-up."

From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026

Scottie Scheffler, the world number one and defending champion who comes into this week after a rare missed cut at the Scottish Open, seemed similarly upbeat about the set-up.

From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026

Lionel Messi, the 39-year-old Argentina captain, who continues to light up the international stage 20 years on from his tournament debut, green-lighted every detail of the top-dollar set-up.

From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026

That sentence reads like a set-up to a “Curb” bit, but it is not.

From Salon ● Jun. 26, 2026

It is clear that this strange peep-show set-up ensured that the viewer looked at both the painting and the Baptistry with one eye—geometrical perspective depends on a single point of view.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

If England win in Atlanta on Wednesday, they will set up a repeat of the European Championship final of two years ago.

From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026

The agency set up a relay connecting radar scopes to the Long Island facility, more than 100 miles away.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026

In Pasadena, Romani communities set up seasonal caravan camps, where Saar first encountered astrology and palmistry charts that inspired her interest in the unknown.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026

According to the NCA, Jogesh owned and controlled a company set up in 2020 to buy and sell nitrile gloves, while Morris helped in a number of fraudulent deals in 2020 and 2021.

From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026

“You’re already set up down there. If you come up here and I’m wrong, you might not be able to get back in.”

From "Storm Runners" by Roland Smith

Related Words

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