setting up

verb

present participle of set up
1
as in putting
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 founding
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 erecting
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 building
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 healing
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 setting up The deal was supposed to address both countries’ priorities by reopening the Strait of Hormuz and setting up negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program in exchange for widespread sanctions relief and an end to attacks on Iran and its partners. — Ali Vaez, Foreign Affairs, 29 Sep. 2026 Freddie’s crew is setting up big silver reflectors to light the actors’ faces, which bounce the sunlight right into our eyeballs. — Kyle MacLachlan, HollywoodReporter, 29 Sep. 2026 Campus social experiments are officially crashing headfirst into federal civil rights law, setting up a showdown over the future of female athletics. — Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 29 Sep. 2026 But don’t sleep on the Bears basically gifting Washington 13 yards to McLaurin on the sidelines to stop the clock with two seconds remaining, setting up all the drama. — Barry Svrluga, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026 Spitzer is considering future e-bike buyback events but with some tweaks, including setting up multiple processing lines to move people through faster and limiting the buyback to Orange County residents or those with a connection to the county. — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026 Welcomed by Herky the Hornet, the cheer team and the campus community, the students and their families checked in before unloading their belongings and setting up their new rooms. — Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 27 Aug. 2026 That, plus a false start on 3rd-and-1, killed what was setting up to be another scoring drive for SHS. — Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Aug. 2026 If elected, Henderson said his priority would be stabilizing the district’s finances and setting up standing committees — a model that several of his opponents have also supported. — Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for setting up
  1. putting
  2. founding
  3. erecting
  4. building
  5. healing
  6. situating
  7. establishing
  8. raising
Verb
  • The dramatic lighting and wax museums are just spooky enough to summon the spirit of the witch trials without being off-putting for children.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Oct. 2026
  • But putting America on a presentation slide and actually establishing yourself in the US motorcycle market are two very different propositions.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of putting
Verb
  • The founding mayors lead cities including Atlanta, Jacksonville, Boise, Tulsa and Memphis -- governing more than 7 million Americans across 11 red and purple states, according to a memo for the new coalition.
    — Isabella Murray, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
  • By naming the product of two mergers Skydance, David Ellison relegates two of Hollywood’s founding studios to a sub-brand stew and attempts to erase a bunch of controversial hires.
    — Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of founding
Verb
  • Abdel Gelil is now sheltering with family in the southwestern city of Taiz, while others are sleeping in the streets or erecting makeshift tents out of plastic.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026
  • During a Sunday appearance on CNN, Johnson rebuffed the idea that lawmakers should rush into an emergency session to consider erecting industry guardrails.
    — Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 13 Sep. 2026
Definition of erecting
Verb
  • Officials said during the Oval Office event that building the pipeline will take three years and that exports of liquified natural gas would begin two years after that -- but that was dependent on financing coming through fully.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 1 Oct. 2026
  • By building and learning alongside partners, Synchrony aims to help build an AI commerce ecosystem that creates value for brands while protecting customers.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of building
Verb
  • Of course, there’s the usual spa and sport options, but there’s also opportunities to do mandala art classes, weaving, and sound healing sessions.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Oct. 2026
  • There was a case in recent years where school staff noticed a student from a faith-healing family having up to 13 seizures a day, which ultimately led to a doctor going to court to say the girl needed emergency medical attention.
    — Audrey Dutton, ProPublica, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of healing
Verb
  • The Sun is in Virgo until September 22, situating you in your annual season of renewal and personal vitality.
    — Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The report proposed situating it at the western end of the Mall, near the Potomac River.
    — Jennifer Tucker, The Conversation, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of situating
Verb
  • In my view, the government must get ahead of that curve by establishing a full-fledged Department of AI, rather than leaving it to a single individual.
    — Yerbol Orynbayev, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The Trojans beat South Grand Prairie 24-17, establishing themselves as the 8-6A team to beat.
    — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of establishing
Verb
  • The Ratepayer Protection Act, meant to prevent data centers from raising electricity prices, enjoyed sweeping support in the House from all but three Democrats while all but four of their colleagues in the Senate opposed it.
    — Ramsey Touchberry, The Washington Examiner, 1 Oct. 2026
  • While encouraging and raising the odds of the Fed holding borrowing costs steady at its October meeting, the level of market rates has become quite competitive with stocks — not to mention, elevated inflation still eats away at returns.
    — Zev Fima, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of raising

Browse Nearby Words

setting (to)
setting up
setting upon
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Setting up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/setting%20up. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

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

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List
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
name tags
Words Named After People Quiz Find out who’s behind "leotard," "morphine," an...
See All