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
But if huge set pieces like this one were crucial to the film, some more intimate scenes between the characters, like the goodbye scenes, were absolutely critical in terms of writing and directing.
—Maelle Beauget-Uhl, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
But perhaps those emergency workers should have continued to the London Stadium to extinguish some of the fires West Ham’s defence were setting for themselves when trying to deal with set pieces.
—Roshane Thomas, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
As a result, the onstage settings consist of a few physical set pieces backed up by vivid and realistic-looking images on the screens.
—David Lyman, Cincinnati Enquirer, 12 Sep. 2025
Director Mike Donahue sets the entire play on the shores of a beautiful lake (the giant photo backdrop and reflective stage are by designer Afsoon Pajoufar), with a few chairs and a book cart the primary set pieces.
—Chad Jones, Mercury News, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for set piece
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Maelle Beauget-Uhl, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
But perhaps those emergency workers should have continued to the London Stadium to extinguish some of the fires West Ham’s defence were setting for themselves when trying to deal with set pieces.
—Roshane Thomas, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
As a result, the onstage settings consist of a few physical set pieces backed up by vivid and realistic-looking images on the screens.
—David Lyman, Cincinnati Enquirer, 12 Sep. 2025
Director Mike Donahue sets the entire play on the shores of a beautiful lake (the giant photo backdrop and reflective stage are by designer Afsoon Pajoufar), with a few chairs and a book cart the primary set pieces.
—Chad Jones, Mercury News, 12 Sep. 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 19 Sep. 2025.
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