SET UP

Pronunciation (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does set up mean? 

• SET UP (adjective)
  The adjective SET UP has 1 sense:

1. well established and ready to function

  Familiarity information: SET UP used as an adjective is very rare.

• SET UP (verb)
  The verb SET UP has 15 senses:

1. set up or found
2. create by putting components or members together
3. construct, build, or erect
4. get ready for a particular purpose or event
5. put into a proper or systematic order
6. begin, or enable someone else to begin, a venture by providing the means, logistics, etc.
7. take or catch as if in a snare or trap
8. produce
9. set up for use
10. place
11. arrange the outcome of by means of deceit
12. erect and fasten
13. arrange thoughts, ideas, temporal events
14. equip with sails or masts
15. make ready or suitable or equip in advance for a particular purpose or for some use, event, etc

  Familiarity information: SET UP used as a verb is familiar.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SET UP (adjective)

Sense 1

set up [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Well established and ready to function

Context example:

things I can do now that I'm set up

Similar:

constituted; established (brought about or set up or accepted; especially long established)

• SET UP (verb)

Sense 1

set up [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Set up or found

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

set up; launch; found; establish

Context example:

She set up a literacy program

Hypernyms (to "set up" is one way to...):

open; open up (start to operate or function or cause to start operating or functioning)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 2

set up [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Create by putting components or members together

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Synonyms:

tack together; put together; assemble; piece; set up; tack

Context examples:

She pieced a quilt / He tacked together some verses / They set up a committee

Hypernyms (to "set up" is one way to...):

create; make (make or cause to be or to become)

bring together; join (cause to become joined or linked)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "set up"):

comfit; confect; confection (make into a confection)

confuse; jumble; mix up (assemble without order or sense)

reassemble (assemble once again, after taking something apart)

configure (set up for a particular purpose)

compound (create by mixing or combining)

rig up (erect or construct, especially as a temporary measure)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Sense 3

set up [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Construct, build, or erect

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Synonyms:

erect; set up; put up; rear; raise

Context example:

Raise a barn

Hypernyms (to "set up" is one way to...):

build; construct; make (make by combining materials and parts)

Domain category:

building; construction (the act of constructing something)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 4

set up [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Get ready for a particular purpose or event

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

lay out; set up; set

Context examples:

set up an experiment / set the table / lay out the tools for the surgery

Hypernyms (to "set up" is one way to...):

fix; gear up; prepare; ready; set; set up (make ready or suitable or equip in advance for a particular purpose or for some use, event, etc)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 5

set up [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Put into a proper or systematic order

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

arrange; set up

Context example:

arrange the books on the shelves in chronological order

Hypernyms (to "set up" is one way to...):

lay; place; pose; position; put; set (put into a certain place or abstract location)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "set up"):

decorate; dress (provide with decoration)

catenate; catenulate (arrange in a series of rings or chains, as for spores)

corral (arrange wagons so that they form a corral)

pyramid (arrange or build up as if on the base of a pyramid)

settle (arrange or fix in the desired order)

cascade (arrange (open windows) on a computer desktop so that they overlap each other, with the title bars visible)

array; lay out; range; set out (lay out orderly or logically in a line or as if in a line)

bundle; compact; pack; wad (compress into a wad)

heap; pile; stack (arrange in stacks)

distribute; stagger (to arrange in a systematic order)

drape (arrange in a particular way)

drape (place casually)

set (fix in a border)

gradate (arrange according to grades)

line up (form a line)

concord (arrange the words of a text so as to create a concordance)

geminate; pair (arrange in pairs)

chain (connect or arrange into a chain by linking)

regularise; regularize (make regular or more regular)

order (place in a certain order)

order (bring order to or into)

straighten (make straight or straighter)

rearrange (put into a new order or arrangement)

serialise; serialize (arrange serially)

alphabetise; alphabetize (arrange in alphabetical order)

coordinate; organise; organize (bring order and organization to)

stratify (form layers or strata)

stack (arrange the order of so as to increase one's winning chances)

plume; preen (clean with one's bill)

spread out; string out (set out or stretch in a line, succession, or series)

string (stretch out or arrange like a string)

marshal (arrange in logical order)

draw; string; thread (thread on or as if on a string)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sentence examples:

They set up the bags on the table
The men set up the bookshelves

Sense 6

set up [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Begin, or enable someone else to begin, a venture by providing the means, logistics, etc.

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Context example:

set up an election

Hypernyms (to "set up" is one way to...):

devise; get up; machinate; organise; organize; prepare (arrange by systematic planning and united effort)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sense 7

set up [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Take or catch as if in a snare or trap

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

ensnare; entrap; frame; set up

Context examples:

I was set up! / The innocent man was framed by the police

Hypernyms (to "set up" is one way to...):

cozen; deceive; delude; lead on (be false to; be dishonest with)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Sentence example:

They want to set up the prisoners

Sense 8

set up [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Produce

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Synonyms:

effect; effectuate; set up

Context example:

The scientists set up a shock wave

Hypernyms (to "set up" is one way to...):

cause; do; make (give rise to; cause to happen or occur, not always intentionally)

Cause:

come about; fall out; go on; hap; happen; occur; pass; pass off; take place (come to pass)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "set up"):

serve (contribute or conduce to)

hasten; induce; rush; stimulate (cause to occur rapidly)

precipitate (bring about abruptly)

draw; get (earn or achieve a base by being walked by the pitcher)

accomplish; action; carry out; carry through; execute; fulfil; fulfill (put in effect)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sense 9

set up [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Set up for use

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

install; instal; put in; set up

Context examples:

install the washer and dryer / We put in a new sink

Hypernyms (to "set up" is one way to...):

lay; place; pose; position; put; set (put into a certain place or abstract location)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "set up"):

retrofit (fit in or on an existing structure, such as an older house)

reinstall (install again)

post; put up (put up)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Somebody ----s somebody PP
Somebody ----s something PP

Sentence example:

They want to set up the doors

Sense 10

set up [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Place

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

instal; install; establish; set up

Context example:

Her manager had set her up at the Ritz

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Sense 11

set up [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Arrange the outcome of by means of deceit

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

rig; set up

Context example:

rig an election

Hypernyms (to "set up" is one way to...):

cheat; chisel (engage in deceitful behavior; practice trickery or fraud)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 12

set up [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Erect and fasten

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

pitch; set up

Context example:

pitch a tent

Hypernyms (to "set up" is one way to...):

erect; rear (cause to rise up)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "set up"):

camp; camp down (establish or set up a camp)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 13

set up [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Arrange thoughts, ideas, temporal events

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Synonyms:

arrange; order; put; set up

Context examples:

arrange my schedule / set up one's life / I put these memories with those of bygone times

Hypernyms (to "set up" is one way to...):

organise; organize (cause to be structured or ordered or operating according to some principle or idea)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "set up"):

phrase (divide, combine, or mark into phrases)

contemporise; contemporize; synchronise; synchronize (arrange or represent events so that they co-occur)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 14

set up [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Equip with sails or masts

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

rig; set up; set

Context example:

rig a ship

Hypernyms (to "set up" is one way to...):

equip; fit; fit out; outfit (provide with (something) usually for a specific purpose)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 15

set up [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Make ready or suitable or equip in advance for a particular purpose or for some use, event, etc

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

gear up; prepare; ready; set; fix; set up

Context examples:

Get the children ready for school! / prepare for war / I was fixing to leave town after I paid the hotel bill

Hypernyms (to "set up" is one way to...):

alter; change; modify (cause to change; make different; cause a transformation)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "set up"):

socialise; socialize (prepare for social life)

brace; poise (prepare (oneself) for something unpleasant or difficult)

crop; cultivate; work (prepare for crops)

prime (insert a primer into (a gun, mine, or charge) preparatory to detonation or firing)

summerise; summerize (prepare for summer)

winterise; winterize (prepare for winter)

lay out; set; set up (get ready for a particular purpose or event)

mount (fix onto a backing, setting, or support)

fix (kill, preserve, and harden (tissue) in order to prepare for microscopic study)

precondition (put into the required condition beforehand)

cram (prepare (students) hastily for an impending exam)

provide (take measures in preparation for)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody PP
Somebody ----s something PP
Somebody ----s to INFINITIVE