setup

American  

[set-uhp] / ˈsɛtˌʌp /

noun

• setups
  plural

1. organization; arrangement.

2. an act or instance of setting up or getting ready.

   The setup of the lights and camera took most of the morning.

3. the carriage of the body; bearing.

4. a camera position, as for a particular shot.

5. everything required for an alcoholic drink except the liquor, as a glass, ice, and soda water, as served to patrons who provide their own liquor.

6. Informal.

   1. an undertaking or contest deliberately made easy.

   2. a match or game arranged with an opponent who can be defeated without risk or effort.

   3. an opponent easy to defeat.

7. Sports.

   1. a shot or play that results in a puck, shuttlecock, ball, or balls being so positioned as to provide a player with an easy opportunity for a winning shot.

      a playmaker who excels in setups.

   2. the position of such a puck, ball, etc..

      a setup close to and to the left of the goalkeeper.

   3. the puck, ball, etc., itself.

      The wing banged the setup into the goal.

8. an arrangement of all the tools, parts, apparatus, etc., necessary for any of various specific jobs or purposes.

9. the equipment or items necessary for a particular activity or period; kit.

   Each student gets a weekly setup of clean blankets, sheets, and towels.

10. a plan or projected course of action.

11. a prearranged situation or circumstance, usually created to fool or trap someone; trick; scheme.

---

Usage

See login.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• setups
  plural

Etymology

Origin of setup

First recorded in 1600–10; noun use of verb phrase set up

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

setup setups

The council said it was "working to resolve the situation" but a "multi-step setup process must occur" before new waste and recycling collection services are set up.

From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026

A small, weekend setup could serve as an “emergency crash pad” for a cat in need, Dresser said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

The setup is designed to foster a community atmosphere, as if you are trying on clothes at home with your besties.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026

Meanwhile, Sur said he sees a favorable setup for Broadcom in fiscal 2027, and he is expecting the company to either raise its $100 billion outlook or offer more color around that number.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 2026

But I didn’t like the setup, the atmosphere; it was sort of too impressive.

From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote

There were already about 100 to 200 fans in the park, about six hours before the first whistle; laughing, drinking, lending a hand to vendor setups.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026

By the early 1990s, some crews in the U.K. began throwing megaraves more spiritually akin to experiential carnivals than to more lowkey dance-floor-and-DJ setups.

From Slate ● Jun. 25, 2026

All you need is a 200-watt panel and a “microinverter,” with setups starting at around $500.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026

But this is only a memory — a child’s version of an experience, filmed with all of the bright colors and simple setups of an illustration in a storybook.

From Salon ● Jun. 2, 2026

There were all sorts of cumbersome new factors to be considered and discussed—Secret Service protocols, emergency evacuation setups, strategies for protecting our kids’ privacy now that they had the eyes of a nation upon them.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Related Words

• composition
• foundation
• set-up
• structure
• system