sets up

verb

present tense third-person singular of set up
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

Relevance

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in erects
to fix in an upright position set up a post from which to hang the sign

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in builds
to form by putting together parts or materials set up the prefabricated shed by following the instructions

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in heals
to restore to a healthy condition don't worry, the doctor will set you up in no time

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sets up The outcome sets up weeks of coalition bargaining and political uncertainty, with the opposition alliance facing an uphill battle to assemble a majority government in the 120-seat Knesset. — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 30 Oct. 2026 The episode sets up Hal and John’s budding mentor-mentee dynamic in a 2016 timeline, with Hal being a reluctant teacher. — Matt Minton, Variety, 17 Aug. 2026 Much of the first episode sets up the mystery that the Green Lantern and his protege are aiming to solve before ending with a twist. — Katie Campione, Deadline, 16 Aug. 2026 The proposal also sets up ministerial and parliamentary committees to monitor the disarmament process. — ABC News, 10 Aug. 2026 All of this sets up a likely $4 billion summer and $10 billion year, Dergarabedian said, which could make 2026 the highest-grossing summer and the highest-grossing year since 2019. — Angela Yang, NBC news, 2 Aug. 2026 The win for Bailey sets up what should be an entertaining wrestling match against either Bandito or Fletcher. — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026 Whoever wins the Republican runoff sets up a high-profile, big-money matchup. — Suzanne Nuyen, NPR, 16 June 2026 But the decision sets up a circuit court split with rulings from the fifth and eighth circuits. — Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill, 28 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sets up
  1. puts
  2. founds
  3. erects
  4. builds
  5. heals
  6. situates
  7. establishes
  8. raises
Verb
  • In August, after Piker implied that Jews' support for Israel puts them at risk of personal violence, El-Sayed sought to distance himself from the controversy, saying Piker did not speak for the campaign.
    — Barbara Sprunt, NPR, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Mushrooms are an underrated ingredient in Indian cooking, and this creamy masala puts the earthy veg front and center.
    — Rachel Gurjar, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of puts
Verb
  • Jean-Marie Le Pen founds the far-right National Front, building it around anti-immigration and nationalist policies.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 July 2026
  • Goldschmied enters a partnership with Renzo Rosso and co-founds Diesel.
    — Maria Cristina Pavarini, Footwear News, 18 May 2026
Definition of founds
Verb
  • Perhaps that is why the voucher program’s $26 billion plan rejects accountability and erects barriers for meaningful participation of public school students.
    — Denise Forte, Baltimore Sun, 21 Oct. 2026
  • King drops elephants through the air, erects wobbly Towers of Babel, lets characters run amok with depictions of her own pencils, and then summons a hand with a knife to clear a clean space on the page.
    — Laura Preston, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of erects
Verb
  • Working with her frequent collaborator Evan Wright, McDoom builds her arrangements from nylon-string guitar and voice.
    — Emma Madden, Pitchfork, 4 Nov. 2026
  • And that number is bound to rise in the coming years, as humanity builds out more and more megaconstellations in Earth orbit.
    — Mike Wall, Space.com, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of builds
Verb
  • Christian Science Perspective Instead of being full of burden and obligation, the activities of Churches of Christ, Scientist, are full of light that uplifts and heals.
    — Lynn Jackson, Christian Science Monitor, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Mayo Clinic notes that a major goal after surgery is getting patients relatively comfortable, but some pain may remain as the body heals.
    — Emily Cegielski, Flow Space, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of heals
Verb
  • This makes your role clear and situates it in the context of goals everyone cares about.
    — Melody Wilding, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The murkiness of it all clarifies by the end of the film, not just in terms of its heroes, villains and message, but Greengrass also situates this story within a recognizable cinematic and storytelling history.
    — Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of situates
Verb
  • This discovery establishes a new way to couple mechanical motion and electricity at the smallest scales, opening new possibilities for molecular electronics.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Article 5 of the NATO charter contains the alliance's mutual-defense guarantee, which establishes that an attack on one is an attack on all.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of establishes
Verb
  • Raman said the police union was rewarding Bass in exchange for her approval of pay raises the city couldn’t afford.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2026
  • For Simmons and the Panthers, the loss raises questions about their ability to respond to adversity.
    — Alejandro Hernandez, Miami Herald, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of raises

Browse Nearby Words

set straight
sets up
sets upon
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sets up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sets%20up. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

The Words of the Week - Nov. 6

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
woman sitting on floor holding book in front of her face on pink background
Famous Novels, Last Lines Quiz Needless to say, spoiler alert.
See All