set piece

noun

Updated on: 10 Apr 2018

Definition of set piece

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

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set-piece

play \ˈset-ˌpēs\ adjective

See set piece defined for English-language learners

Examples of set piece in a Sentence

a movie with some lovely set pieces
She scored with a set piece.

Recent Examples of set piece from the Web

With thousands of gold paillettes covering the tight georgette gown, Harris brought the drama and even managed to overshadow the towering set pieces and props that filled the Microsoft Theatre.

— janelle okwodu, Vogue, "Naomie Harris Goes for Gold in Miu Miu—And Wins," 5 Apr. 2018
Up a score and in position to double their lead, the Revolution couldn't capitalize off the set piece as the shot ricocheted off the top of the crossbar.

— glynn a. hill, Houston Chronicle, "Dynamo suffer shutout loss to Revolution," 31 Mar. 2018
In the 6th minute, Jose Ortiz scored off a set piece, with the assist from Nate Kopetsky.

— brian gosset, star-telegram, "Fossil Ridge and Trinity boys earn rare soccer playoff wins, Castleberry girls advance | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 30 Mar. 2018
For those who don’t know, Arcade is an in-game map making tool that lets designers place props and set pieces from Far Cry 3, 4, 5 and Blood Dragon, Assassin’s Creed: Origins, and Watch Dogs 2.

— hayden dingman, PCWorld, "This week in games: Red Faction Guerrilla gets 'Re-Mars-Stered,' de_dust2 appears in Far Cry 5," 30 Mar. 2018
At its best, Far Cry is a series about big, action movie-style set pieces, ones that set you loose with a lot of toys and a little bit of direction.

— andrew webster, The Verge, "Far Cry 5’s half-hearted attempt at politics ruins the fun," 29 Mar. 2018
From the set piece, the ball was nodded down to Dwight Gayle, whose flick was met with a first-time finish by Ritchie.

— USA TODAY, "United stumbles at Newcastle, Salah shines for Liverpool," 11 Feb. 2018
Thanks to the conductor Ryan Brown and the four singers, the recitatives between the set pieces stayed suspenseful; the act took us through quite a spectrum.

— alastair macaulay, New York Times, "Review: Lafayette’s Double Bill of Baroque Opera and Dance Drama," 4 Feb. 2018
But Paolo Virzi’s film, based on a novel by Michael Zadoorian, holds few surprises, leaving us with some enjoyable set pieces in a disappointing movie.

— bill goodykoontz, Detroit Free Press, "Sutherland, Mirren hit the road in ‘Leisure Seeker’," 23 Mar. 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.

First Known Use of set piece

1834

SET PIECE Defined for English Language Learners

set piece

noun

Definition of set piece for English Language Learners

: 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