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

Every character gets their own unique set piece featuring a figure from their tarot card reading. —Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 May 2024

For context, Sporting has scored eight goals from set pieces in each of the last three seasons. —Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 2 May 2024

To say much more would spoil the shiny, chrome fun of the lengthy set piece, which needs to be seen to be believed — even, apparently, for the actors who took part in the filming of it. —EW.com, 1 May 2024

The best thing about 'The Fall Guy' is Gosling and Blunt Leitch, a former stuntman, brings an obviously genuine love for high-wire set pieces to life. —Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 1 May 2024

Still, Munich’s many suspense and action set pieces drive the story along with undeniable tension. —Dennis Perkins, EW.com, 5 Apr. 2024

By the end, the show’s technically brilliant set pieces and terrific scores only emphasized how philosophically barren the story had become. —Lili Loofbourow, Washington Post, 21 Mar. 2024

But other set pieces left us scratching our heads, specifically when the action shifted across town to the University of Texas at Austin for performances by Jason Aldean, Bailey Zimmerman, Old Dominion, and more. —Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 8 Apr. 2024

These shots get smoother as the film progresses and the climactic showdown in the VIP bar is a gorgeously fluid set piece, soundtracked to the churning guitars of Indian folk-metal band Bloodywood. —Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1834, in the meaning defined at sense 1a