set piece

noun

Definition of set piece

1a : 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

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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

England made set pieces the cornerstone of its run to the World Cup semifinals and created chances for Harry Maguire and Dier in the second half. — James Ellingsworth, BostonGlobe.com, "Belgium claims third place at World Cup," 14 July 2018 England made set pieces the cornerstone of its run to the World Cup semifinals and created chances for Harry Maguire and Dier in the second half. — James Ellingworth, chicagotribune.com, "Belgium win 3rd place with victory over England," 14 July 2018 Starfleet Academy has been a set piece in many Star Trek episodes, but it's never been the subject of an entire show. — Darren Orf, Popular Mechanics, "Where Is Star Trek Boldly Going?," 10 Sep. 2018 For the artists, what was your favorite part to illustrate? Trungles: The set pieces were a ton of fun to draw. — Will Nevin, OregonLive.com, "Interview | Late nights, a little panic and 'boobs': The birth and development of February's 'Twisted Romance'," 26 Jan. 2018 When Germany won World Cup ’14, 27.8% of its goals came off set pieces. — Grant Wahl, SI.com, "The World Cup of Set Pieces: How Teams Are Living Off Dead-Ball Plays," 10 July 2018 Croatia pulled in front in extra time, through a 101st-minute header from Domagoj Vida, marking the sixth time here that Russia had conceded from a set piece—a surprising total considering how organized this team was otherwise. — Joshua Robinson, WSJ, "Russia Is Out of the Russian World Cup," 7 July 2018 Sorry to Bother You’s deliberate lack of panache is sometimes a huge strength, particularly in its most chilling set piece, in which Cash is asked to rap in front of Steve and his coterie of rich hangers-on. — David Sims, The Atlantic, "Sorry to Bother You Is Fizzy, Flawed, and Fascinating," 6 July 2018 South Korea came close from a set piece in the 19th minute after Manuel Neuer failed to control a 25-meter free-kick from Jung Woo-young. — Houston Chronicle, "Mexico, Sweden advance from group stage; defending World Cup champ Germany eliminated," 27 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'set piece.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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3 Dec 2018

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The first known use of set piece was in 1834

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More Definitions for set piece

set piece

noun

English Language Learners Definition of set piece

: a scene in a movie or play, an image in a painting, a piece of music, etc., that has a familiar style or pattern and that creates a particular and usually dramatic effect

: a carefully planned and performed group of movements in sports

See the full definition for set piece in the English Language Learners Dictionary