1
as in to put
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 to establish
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 to erect
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 to build
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 to heal
to restore to a healthy condition
don't worry, the doctor will set you up in no time
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in layout
the way in which something is sized, arranged, or organized
the textbook's setup calls for a list of questions at the end of each chapter
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in sequence
the way objects in space or events in time are arranged or follow one another
changed the setup of the living room furniture several times before being satisfied
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 set up
Big Think, 6 Apr. 2026
Argentina, the defending World Cup champion, England and the Netherlands are establishing base camps here, with Algeria setting up camp in Lawrence.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 6 Apr. 2026
Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 6 Apr. 2026
But with Kane in the penalty box, Kaprizov took a setup pass from Boldy and blasted home the game-winner, completing his sixth career regular-season three-goal game.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 5 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for set up
Verb
April 1st’s successful launch set up a rendezvous with the Moon.
—Big Think, 6 Apr. 2026
Argentina, the defending World Cup champion, England and the Netherlands are establishing base camps here, with Algeria setting up camp in Lawrence.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 6 Apr. 2026
Noun
Need something a tad different for your setup?
—Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 6 Apr. 2026
But with Kane in the penalty box, Kaprizov took a setup pass from Boldy and blasted home the game-winner, completing his sixth career regular-season three-goal game.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 5 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for set up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for set up
Verb
-
Simply put, there’s no way that your husband won’t have to deal with this.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Apr. 2026
-
At this point, as one aide put it, Tisza is Magyar, and Magyar is Tisza.—
Kapil Komireddi,
New Yorker,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The movie’s point of view is established with a brief opening voice-over by a woman named Sasha, whose reminiscences of childhood, and of her brother Jeremy, make up the bulk of the film.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2026
-
French counterterrorism prosecutors also said the plot to ignite an explosive device outside the Paris headquarters of Bank of America appears to be linked to HAYI, but a firm link has not yet been established.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN Money,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The historic structure was erected in 1893 in the Renaissance Revival-style and was the third constructed by the bank at the same address.—
Kenneth R. Gosselin,
Hartford Courant,
9 Apr. 2026
-
The 1,000-foot turbines will tower over these homes as they are being erected.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Hungarians living near the southern frontier, where Orbán made a show of building a border fence during the refugee crisis, are travelling to Croatia to buy cheap groceries.—
Kapil Komireddi,
New Yorker,
10 Apr. 2026
-
There were no 20-point comebacks on Thursday night, but the Knicks did build a 13-point lead in the third quarter, only to watch the Celtics run off a 19-4 run and take a two-point lead with a few ticks left entering the fourth quarter.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In a low-oxygen environment—similar to that of tadpoles’ usual aquatic habitat—mice tissue healed better than when it was exposed to more oxygen.—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen,
Scientific American,
9 Apr. 2026
-
In Navajo culture, such fracturing violence requires a ceremony to restore balance, to heal.—
Stephen Trimble,
Denver Post,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
All 39 have different layouts, views, and furnishings, and some feature pieces from the historic Ritz Paris, bought at the renovation auction of 2016.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Apr. 2026
-
This tiny house keeps things simple with a single-level layout that sleeps up to two people.—
Adam Williams
April 11,
New Atlas,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Hart will, however, address the pair of 20-point comebacks the Knicks pulled off en route to the conference finals for the first time in a quarter-century, a sequence of bizarre events many called a fluke.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
10 Apr. 2026
-
The robot is built to manage continuous task sequences efficiently.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Now, the retailer's area has better signage and is situated with the rest of the beauty products and fragrances, leading sales to jump 40% between 2023 and 2024 at NEX Oceana.—
Gabrielle Fonrouge,Ryan Baker,
CNBC,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Set the scene Pigalle, situated at the foot of Montmartre, may have shaken off its reputation for debauchery but the neighborhood nonetheless preserves a seductive energy, a holdover from its red-light-district days.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Set up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/set%20up. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
