set down

verb

set down; setting down; sets down

transitive verb

1

: to cause to sit down : seat

2

: to place at rest on a surface or on the ground

3

: to suspend (a jockey) from racing

4

: to cause or allow to get off a vehicle : deliver

5

: to land (an airplane) on the ground or water

6

a

: ordain, establish

b

: to put in writing

7

a

: regard, consider

set him down as a liar

b

: attribute

Synonyms

• sit
• seat
• put

Examples of set down in a Sentence

set the toddler down in her seat

set down the names of those in attendance

Recent Examples on the Web

The pair took full advantage and ground their way in the final from the top half, setting down Wazir & Blanco in the semis with a come-from-behind win. —Todd Boss, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025

The new work sets down a new path altogether: rather than searching for hidden gems in familiar territory, the generative AI platform starts from scratch, conjuring entirely new molecular structures absent from any database. —IEEE Spectrum, 14 Aug. 2025

In theory, proceeding to harvest your data despite this notification could violate rules set down by the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) and CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act). —PC Magazine, 14 Aug. 2025

Shane Baz, who set down the first six Angels, gave the lead back in the third inning. —Marc Topkin, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for set down

• adown
• blowdown
• breakdown
• countdown
• crackdown
• crosstown
• downtown
• drawdown
• dropdown
• facedown
• godown
• hometown

Kids Definition

set down

verb

1

: to cause to sit down : seat

2

: to place at rest on a surface or on the ground

3

: to land (an airplane) on the ground or water

4

: establish sense 2

the government set down laws

5

: to put in writing