1
as in puts
to arrange something in a certain spot or position
set up tables in the living room for the party
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in founds
to be responsible for the creation and early operation or use of
set up a scholarship fund for deserving students from the inner city
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in erects
to fix in an upright position
set up a post from which to hang the sign
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4
as in builds
to form by putting together parts or materials
set up the prefabricated shed by following the instructions
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5
as in heals
to restore to a healthy condition
don't worry, the doctor will set you up in no time
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sets up
The finale also sets up for Boris to return in future seasons.
—
Katie Campione, Deadline, 23 Oct. 2025
Caleb Femi’s Poor (2020) sets up a visual contrast between exterior shots of the cold geometric grid of the North Peckham Estate, and close-up interiors with dancing.
—Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2025
The episode also sets up some hints about what’s to come next.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2025
Anderson sets up their tumultuous familyhood and the film jumps off after everything changes over the time span of the 16 years.
—Essence, 18 Sep. 2025
Katie Campione, Deadline, 23 Oct. 2025
Caleb Femi’s Poor (2020) sets up a visual contrast between exterior shots of the cold geometric grid of the North Peckham Estate, and close-up interiors with dancing.
—Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2025
The episode also sets up some hints about what’s to come next.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2025
Anderson sets up their tumultuous familyhood and the film jumps off after everything changes over the time span of the 16 years.
—Essence, 18 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sets up
Verb
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That will be especially difficult given that Ruby tends to push aside anything that puts her in a negative light.—
Alamin Yohannes,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Oct. 2025
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While the dry upland habitat loss puts stress on swamp rabbit populations, the loss and drainage of wetlands also poses a challenge for the struggling rabbits.—
Karl Schneider,
IndyStar,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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So, games like that builds trust.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
26 Oct. 2025
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But the restaurant doesn't dwell in the past; Agnes and Sherman is a diner for a new generation that builds upon all that came before.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Because if medicine heals, education transforms.—
Dr. Victor Raúl Castillo Mantilla,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Oct. 2025
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That joy is part of your path, and that laughter heals.—
Dossé-Via Trenou,
Refinery29,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
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By analyzing discourses on development squarely within Native American studies, Yazzie situates capitalism, colonialism, and imperialism into the politics of nation-building.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
11 Oct. 2025
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Durham incorporates archival footage alongside shots of a young Alysia with her father to create a dazzling effect that situates the Abbotts within their own history.—
Barry Levitt,
Time,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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On top of everything, Sakura Fujirawa's music establishes a fluid rhythm, all while dialogue is completely absent.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
29 Oct. 2025
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This provision establishes a new, permanent, dollar-for-dollar credit of up to $1,700 for individuals for donations to non-profit scholarship-granting organizations, according to the letters.—
Arthur Jones II,
ABC News,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The union has argued that an election would extend an already prolonged process, and raises opportunities for complications and appeals.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
30 Oct. 2025
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Sympathetic, apparently, to Geralt’s quest to save Ciri, Regis decides to join the gang on the road — though a closing shot of Regis privately savoring the scent of Geralt’s blood on a cloth raises some troubling questions for the show to answer down the road.—
Scott Meslow,
Vulture,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The department plans and constructs new freeways, additional lanes and other improvements in the Phoenix area as part of the Regional Transportation Plan for the Maricopa County region.—
Jose R. Gonzalez,
AZCentral.com,
24 Oct. 2025
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And Dacus, with slow-burning lyricism and diary-fragment songwriting, constructs entire emotional geographies connected by faith, heartbreak, memory, and grief.—
Gerrick Kennedy,
Rolling Stone,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In total, the Ventana Wildlife Society — a group that traps, breeds and rehabilitates the vultures for release into the wild — has tracked 30 different condors that took multiple trips to parts of Alameda and Contra Costa counties sometime in the past two years.—
Kyle Martin,
Mercury News,
21 Oct. 2025
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While Madea rehabilitates her co-prisoners, her family on the outside struggles with the usual family issues.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
14 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sets up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sets%20up. Accessed 2 Nov. 2025.
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