set the table

Idioms  

1. 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]

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Example Sentences

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

“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

“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

I set the table with paper plates, folded paper towels, plastic cups, and metal utensils.

From "Free Lunch" by Rex Ogle