set down

verb

set down; setting down; sets down

transitive verb

1

: to cause to sit down : seat

2

: to place at rest on a surface or on the ground

3

: to suspend (a jockey) from racing

4

: to cause or allow to get off a vehicle : deliver

5

: to land (an airplane) on the ground or water

6

a

: ordain, establish

b

: to put in writing

7

a

: regard, consider

set him down as a liar

b

: attribute

Synonyms

• seat
• sit

Examples of set down in a Sentence

set the toddler down in her seat

set down the names of those in attendance

Recent Examples on the Web

In the delivery process, a P2 Zip will hover around 300 feet above ground level and dispatch a mini-aircraft with a container called the delivery zip, which descends on a long tether and moves into place using fan-like thrusters before setting down and allowing package retrieval. —Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 8 Apr. 2025

The commission is trying to get the parliament and EU member states to agree, in the first instance, to a postponement law, that would set down the timeline changes for implementation to offer some clarity for businesses. —María Mendiluce, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025

But not every illness requires you to set down your gym bag. —Melanie Radzicki McManus, CNN, 7 Mar. 2025

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina saved a match point and climbed back from two sets down to beat Jakub Mensik, the big and talented 19-year-old. —Charlie Eccleshare, The Athletic, 17 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for set down

• adown
• blowdown
• breakdown
• countdown
• crackdown
• crosstown
• downtown
• drawdown
• dropdown
• facedown
• godown
• hometown

Kids Definition

set down

verb

1

: to cause to sit down : seat

2

: to place at rest on a surface or on the ground

3

: to land (an airplane) on the ground or water

4

: establish sense 2

the government set down laws

5

: to put in writing