set piece

noun

plural set pieces

1

a

: a composition (as in literature, art, or music) executed in a fixed or ideal form often with studied artistry and brilliant effect

b

: a scene, depiction, speech, or event that is obviously designed to have an imposing effect

2

: a realistic piece of stage scenery standing by itself

3

: a precisely planned and conducted military operation

an offensive set piece that caught the enemy off guard

4

sports : a carefully planned sequence of movements performed by the members of a team (as in soccer)

A set piece can be used on either a direct or indirect type of [free] kick, providing one of the few times during the game that a team can execute something that it may have spent hours practicing.

—Doug Roberson

set-piece

ˈset-ˌpēs 

adjective

Examples of set piece in a Sentence

a movie with some lovely set pieces

She scored with a set piece.

Recent Examples on the Web

Manchester City, for example, had 33 per cent of the ball this month at Arsenal, while teams are putting greater emphasis on set pieces. —Adam Crafton, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025

Jay decides to take all of them with him on a European trip in pursuit of his daughter, who’s headed to a jazz festival, as the film turns into a screwball set piece on a train. —Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 29 Sep. 2025

This unclassifiable mix of absurdist comedy, family drama, and nerve-jangling set pieces is completely its own beast. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 27 Sep. 2025

There are set pieces of a scale previously unheard of for the director — explosions, car chases, bank robberies — as well as his most bankable star yet in Leonardo DiCaprio. —Seija Rankin, HollywoodReporter, 26 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1834, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for set piece

• apiece
• aris
• assise
• caprice
• cerise
• decease
• decrease
• eyepiece
• facepiece
• handpiece
• headpiece
• increase