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 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
These tendencies are most consequential in the kidnapping scene, a gnarled set piece that, in its planning and execution, seems to defy even dream logic. Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2025 Radio Silence alum Justin Martinez certainly delivers on that front, staging an alien invasion from the perspective of skydivers plummeting from an exploding plane — a set piece accomplished through a mix of real aerial footage and digital effects. A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2025 The manager does not have anyone in his technical area exclusively working on set pieces. Beren Cross, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025 One of the film’s great set pieces is a moving breakthrough between the two sisters, played by Reinsve and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas. Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 2 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for set piece

Word History

First Known Use

1834, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of set piece was in 1834

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Set piece.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/set%20piece. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025.

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