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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]


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.

Trump has described the summit, which is due to start at 20:00 BST, as a "feel-out meeting" and said his goal is to "set the table" for a meeting between Zelensky and Putin.

From BBC • Aug. 15, 2025

Does Hackford think “La Bamba” helped set the table for subsequent Latino pop star success?

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

“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

So she set the table and found the noodles for Cousin Eunice.

From "Homecoming" by Cynthia Voigt

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