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

• sit
• seat
• put

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

Shortly after the Game 3 loss, Varland set down his hat and walked out of the visitor’s clubhouse. —Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025

After straightforward wins over Katie Boulter and Zhang Shuai, Anisimova came from a set down in back-to-back matches against Karolina Muchová and Jasmine Paolini. —Frank Nunns O'Connell, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2025

Rotate the glass to get every side, then set down and polish. —Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 30 Sep. 2025

Andreasson arrived nine years ago on a temporary project and wound up setting down roots. —David Shortell, Travel + Leisure, 28 Sep. 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