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 of set down

• 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

Left Adelaide Avenue, come down on Maudley, by Ladywell Road, right Railroad Terrace, set down left. —Anderson Cooper, CBS News, 17 May 2026

Brad Lord followed and set down five straight before Javier Sanoja reached on a throwing error by Abrams at shortstop. —ABC News, 8 May 2026

It's aptly named after LV-426, the infamous planetoid that the interstellar towing vessel USCSS Nostromo set down upon to discover the derelict spaceship and its insidious contents in the classic 1979 feature film. —Jeff Spry, Space.com, 27 Apr. 2026

Robb Report’s culinary spectacular is setting down roots in the Big Easy next month. —Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 24 Apr. 2026

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