setup

S1E1T1U1P3
UK/ˈsɛtʌp/Canada, US[ˈsɛɾʌp]Australia, New Zealand/ˈsetɐp/

noun

Equipment designed for a particular purpose; an apparatus.

“Trust me, that was a setup!”

CommonScrabble 7

Meanings

nounsetup (plural setups)

plural setups · alternative set-up

  1. Equipment designed for a particular purpose; an apparatus.

    The laboratory included an elaborate setup for measuring the energy.

    Synonyms: apparatus, loadout

  2. The fashion in which something is organized or arranged.

    The classroom setup was simple and efficient.

    2 more examples

    Shapiro says KYW would keep two separate news staffs that would work together, similar to WBZ's setup.

    1993, Billboard, volume 105, number 21, page 106

    For some stretches, Berhalter’s usual 4-3-3 setup played more as a 4-4-2, with Tim Weah pushing up alongside Wright and McKennie moving to the right side.

    25 November 2022, Jonathan Tannenwald, “U.S. dominates England for long stretches, but plays to 0-0 tie at World Cup”, in The Philadeplhia Inquirer

    Synonyms: configuration, layout

  3. A situation orchestrated to frame someone; a covert effort to place the blame on somebody.

    Trust me, that was a setup!

    Synonyms: frameup, stitch-up

  4. computingAn installer.

    You still have to run the setup and select the display driver after restarting Windows. Installing Windows NT drivers was tedious (but we could back up system files), and OS/2 was tiresome; […]

    1995 August 28, InfoWorld, page 80
  5. operationsThe process or instance of arranging resources for performing a specific operation, as a run of a particular product.

    A simple setup on the bottling line involves reloading bottles and labels; emptying, cleaning, and reloading the tanks; and a test run.

    Synonyms: make-ready, makeready

  6. geographyThe tendency of persistent wind to produce higher water levels at the downwind shore of a body of water and lower at the upwind shore.

    There was a strong wind setup at the south end of the lake after a day of northerly gales.

  7. boxingA move or set of moves which are meant to draw out a reaction which leaves an exploitable opening in defense.

    The jab is most commonly used as a setup for other strikes.

verb

alternative set-up

  1. misspellingMisspelling of set up.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounEquipment designed for a particular purpose; an apparatus.

nounThe fashion in which something is organized or arranged.

nounA situation orchestrated to frame someone; a covert effort to place the blame on somebody.

nounThe process or instance of arranging resources for performing a specific operation, as a run of a particular product.

More synonyms by meaning

nounequipment designed to serve a specific function

Similar
Broader

nounan act that incriminates someone on a false charge

Similar

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

Translations

Bulgarian устано́вка, устройство
  • устано́вка (ustanóvka)Equipment designed for a particular purpose; an apparatus
  • устройство (ustrojstvo)The fashion in which something is organized or arranged
  • организация (organizacija)The fashion in which something is organized or arranged
  • постановка (postanovka)situation orchestrated to frame someone
  • инсталатор (instalator)computing: an installer
Chinese Mandarin 陷害
  • 陷害 (xiànhài)situation orchestrated to frame someone
Czech instalátor
  • instalátorcomputing: an installer
Danish opstilling, opsætning
  • opstillingEquipment designed for a particular purpose; an apparatus
  • opsætningEquipment designed for a particular purpose; an apparatus
Esperanto agordilo, instal-asistanto
  • agordilocomputing: an installer
  • instal-asistantocomputing: an installer
  • instalilocomputing: an installer
Estonian seaded, seadistus
  • seadedEquipment designed for a particular purpose; an apparatus
  • seadistusThe fashion in which something is organized or arranged
  • lavastussituation orchestrated to frame someone
Finnish laitteisto, järjestely
  • laitteistoEquipment designed for a particular purpose; an apparatus
  • järjestelyThe fashion in which something is organized or arranged
  • lavastussituation orchestrated to frame someone
  • asennusohjelmacomputing: an installer
French installation, coup monté
  • installationEquipment designed for a particular purpose; an apparatus
  • coup montésituation orchestrated to frame someone
German Einrichtung, Vorrichtung
  • EinrichtungEquipment designed for a particular purpose; an apparatus
  • VorrichtungEquipment designed for a particular purpose; an apparatus
  • GerätEquipment designed for a particular purpose; an apparatus
  • InstallationEquipment designed for a particular purpose; an apparatus
  • EinrichtungThe fashion in which something is organized or arranged
  • AnordnungThe fashion in which something is organized or arranged
  • AufbauThe fashion in which something is organized or arranged
  • Inszenierungsituation orchestrated to frame someone
  • abgekartetes Spielsituation orchestrated to frame someone
  • Fallesituation orchestrated to frame someone
  • Installationsprogrammcomputing: an installer
  • Installercomputing: an installer
Greek εγκατάσταση
  • εγκατάσταση (egkatástasi)The fashion in which something is organized or arranged
Hungarian telepítő
  • telepítőcomputing: an installer
Indonesian pemasang
  • pemasangcomputing: an installer
Italian apparecchio, dispositivo
  • apparecchioEquipment designed for a particular purpose; an apparatus
  • dispositivoEquipment designed for a particular purpose; an apparatus
  • impostazioneThe fashion in which something is organized or arranged
  • configurazioneThe fashion in which something is organized or arranged
  • assettoThe fashion in which something is organized or arranged
  • situazioneThe fashion in which something is organized or arranged
  • allestimentoThe fashion in which something is organized or arranged
  • impiantoThe fashion in which something is organized or arranged
  • macchinazionesituation orchestrated to frame someone
Malay pemasang
  • pemasangcomputing: an installer
Polish sprzęt, przyrząd
  • sprzętEquipment designed for a particular purpose; an apparatus
  • przyrządEquipment designed for a particular purpose; an apparatus
  • urządzenieEquipment designed for a particular purpose; an apparatus
  • aparaturaEquipment designed for a particular purpose; an apparatus
  • maszyneriaEquipment designed for a particular purpose; an apparatus
  • ustawienieThe fashion in which something is organized or arranged
  • konfiguracjaThe fashion in which something is organized or arranged
  • machinacjasituation orchestrated to frame someone
  • wrobieniesituation orchestrated to frame someone
  • intrygasituation orchestrated to frame someone
  • zasadzkasituation orchestrated to frame someone
  • pułapkasituation orchestrated to frame someone
Portuguese armação
  • armaçãosituation orchestrated to frame someone
Russian устано́вка, обстановка
  • устано́вка (ustanóvka)Equipment designed for a particular purpose; an apparatus
  • обстановка (obstanovka)The fashion in which something is organized or arranged
  • условия (uslovija)The fashion in which something is organized or arranged
  • подста́ва (podstáva)situation orchestrated to frame someone
  • инсталля́тор (installjátor)computing: an installer
Spanish trampucheta, maquinación
  • trampuchetasituation orchestrated to frame someone
  • maquinaciónsituation orchestrated to frame someone
  • levasituation orchestrated to frame someone
  • instaladorcomputing: an installer
Swedish installationsprogram
  • installationsprogramcomputing: an installer

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

setup. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/setup

MLA

“setup.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/setup. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “setup,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/setup.

Source: setup on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.