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

Montreal evened it up at 1 in the 24th minute thanks to a goal off a set piece. —Kyle Foley, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Mar. 2026

Bridgerton chose the Double Cube Room for its first big set piece, presenting Daphne Bridgerton to court and being named diamond of the season. —Bethy Squires, Vulture, 12 Mar. 2026

Rather than rewriting the menu each day, Lata established a rotation of set pieces into which fresh catches and vegetables could be deployed. —Robert F. Moss, Southern Living, 12 Mar. 2026

But Woo stages his action sequences with the grace and fluidity of a great Vincente Minnelli set piece, making the gunfights less acts of violence than of pure aesthetic exhilaration and beauty. —Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 11 Mar. 2026

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