set (oneself) up as (something)
phrasal verb
set (oneself) up as (something); setting (oneself) up as (something); sets (oneself) up as (something)
1
: to try to make people believe that one is (something)
He sets himself up as a defender of the people, but he's really only interested in getting more power.
2
: to start one's own business
She set herself up as a wedding planner.
Examples of set (oneself) up as (something) in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The initial starting offensive line set up as such: left tackle Jamaree Salyer, left guard Branson Taylor, center Bradley Bozeman, right guard Mekhi Becton, right tackle Joe Alt.
—
Daniel Popper, New York Times, 28 May 2025
These lands were inexpensively leased by the state and were set up as experimental refuges.
—Dave Duffey, Outdoor Life, 2 Apr. 2025
Rasoulof’s depiction of an Iranian family torn apart by conflicting loyalties to an increasingly oppressive Tehran regime, was set up as a German-French co-production and shot in secret in Iran.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Mar. 2025
Firefly Aerospace The mission is part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative, which was set up as a public-private partnership between the agency and more than a dozen U.S. companies to deliver NASA science experiments, technology and other cargo to the moon.
—Denise Chow, NBC News, 1 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for set (oneself) up as (something)
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Daniel Popper, New York Times, 28 May 2025
These lands were inexpensively leased by the state and were set up as experimental refuges.
—Dave Duffey, Outdoor Life, 2 Apr. 2025
Rasoulof’s depiction of an Iranian family torn apart by conflicting loyalties to an increasingly oppressive Tehran regime, was set up as a German-French co-production and shot in secret in Iran.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Mar. 2025
Firefly Aerospace The mission is part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative, which was set up as a public-private partnership between the agency and more than a dozen U.S. companies to deliver NASA science experiments, technology and other cargo to the moon.
—Denise Chow, NBC News, 1 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for set (oneself) up as (something)
Cite this Entry
“Set (oneself) up as (something).” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/set%20%28oneself%29%20up%20as%20%28something%29. Accessed 11 Jun. 2025.
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