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
Doug Roberson
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
The team’s work on set pieces has been evident in their corner goals since the beginning of last season, and two aspects stand out.
—Ahmed Walid, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2025
But in between nail-biting set pieces, Harlin intercuts flashbacks that shed light on a couple of the Strangers, specifically the childhoods of Scarecrow and Pin-Up Girl.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 23 Sep. 2025
Customers and staff would work together, spending hours over sometimes multiple days to create set pieces of skeletons and mummies, giant spiders, disembodied hands and faces emerging from the walls.
—Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 23 Sep. 2025
Ryback shows the younger man's relaxation-as-growth around impressive set pieces, including a segment of aping famed concert pianists Alfred Brendel and Glenn Gould as well as Hoffman's blistering rant after a visit to Dachau.
—Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 22 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for set piece
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Ahmed Walid, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2025
But in between nail-biting set pieces, Harlin intercuts flashbacks that shed light on a couple of the Strangers, specifically the childhoods of Scarecrow and Pin-Up Girl.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 23 Sep. 2025
Customers and staff would work together, spending hours over sometimes multiple days to create set pieces of skeletons and mummies, giant spiders, disembodied hands and faces emerging from the walls.
—Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 23 Sep. 2025
Ryback shows the younger man's relaxation-as-growth around impressive set pieces, including a segment of aping famed concert pianists Alfred Brendel and Glenn Gould as well as Hoffman's blistering rant after a visit to Dachau.
—Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 22 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for set piece
Cite this Entry
“Set piece.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/set%20piece. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.
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