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 of set down

• 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

Earlier, Rafael Jodar won after being a set down for third straight match and also reached the quarterfinals. — ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026

The column began with Google’s Sundar Pichai, who set down a fluid stroke, embellished with two horizontal lines, two dots and a dash. — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026

The crew member eventually persuaded Saudi authorities to allow the plane to set down at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in the city of Tabuk. — Sam Metz, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026

Matsui and Adrian Morejón set down six straight batters between them. — Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Sep. 2026

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