set piece
noun
plural set pieces
1
a
: a composition (as in literature, art, or music) executed in a fixed or ideal form often with studied artistry and brilliant effect
b
: a scene, depiction, speech, or event that is obviously designed to have an imposing effect
2
: a realistic piece of stage scenery standing by itself
3
: a precisely planned and conducted military operation
an offensive set piece that caught the enemy off guard
4
sports
: a carefully planned sequence of movements performed by the members of a team (as in soccer)
A set piece can be used on either a direct or indirect type of [free] kick, providing one of the few times during the game that a team can execute something that it may have spent hours practicing.—
Doug Roberson
Doug Roberson
Examples of set piece in a Sentence
a movie with some lovely set pieces
She scored with a set piece.
Recent Examples on the Web
Fisk worked closely with Safdie to envision some of the film’s biggest set pieces, including the table tennis parlor Marty Mauser frequents that is based on Lawrence’s Broadway Table Tennis Club.
—Pat Saperstein, Variety, 27 Dec. 2025
The action sequences resemble previous set pieces, and much of the dialogue amounts to exposition.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 26 Dec. 2025
There are just a lot of rich set pieces that gave us juicy conflict and high stakes.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Dec. 2025
Take the series’ production design, a highlight of season one, with props and set pieces that look ripped straight out of the 3-D Bethesda games.
—Jack King, Vulture, 17 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for set piece
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Pat Saperstein, Variety, 27 Dec. 2025
The action sequences resemble previous set pieces, and much of the dialogue amounts to exposition.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 26 Dec. 2025
There are just a lot of rich set pieces that gave us juicy conflict and high stakes.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Dec. 2025
Take the series’ production design, a highlight of season one, with props and set pieces that look ripped straight out of the 3-D Bethesda games.
—Jack King, Vulture, 17 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for set piece
Cite this Entry
“Set piece.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/set%20piece. Accessed 5 Jan. 2026.
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