From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishset up phrasal verb1 company/organization etcSTART something/MAKE something START to start a company, organization, committee etc SYN establishset something ↔ up They want to set up their own import–export business. new regulations for setting up political partiesset (yourself) up (as something) (=start your own business) John decided to set up as a graphic designer.set up shop/set up in business (=begin operating a business) Now Betterware plans to set up shop elsewhere in Europe.2 arrange/organize set something ↔ upSTART something/MAKE something START to make the arrangements that are necessary for something to happen I’ll set up an appointment for you. There was a lot of work involved in setting up the festival.3 equipmentPREPARE to prepare the equipment that will be needed for an activity so that it is ready to be used The next band was already setting up on the other stage.set something ↔ up Can someone set the overhead projector up?4 build/put up set something ↔ upPUT to place or build something somewhere, especially something that is not permanent They’ve set up roadblocks around the city.5 trick somebody set somebody ↔ up informalGUILTY to trick someone in order to achieve what you want, especially to make it appear that they have done something wrong or illegal Cox claimed that the police had tried to set him up. 6 provide money set somebody ↔ up British English informalRICH to provide someone with money that they need, especially in order to start a business After he qualified as a doctor, his mother set him up in a practice of his own. Selling her share of the company has set her up for life.7 healthy/full of energy set somebody upHEALTHY British English to make you feel healthy and full of energy A good breakfast will set you up for the day.8 set yourself up as something to deliberately make people believe that you have the authority and skill to do something, especially when this is not true politicians who set themselves up as moral authorities9 put somebody in position set somebody up to put someone in a position in which they are able to do something, or in which something is likely to happen to themset somebody up for If he won the fight, it would set him up for a title shot. Anyone with public duties sets themselves up for attack.10 relationship set somebody ↔ up informal to arrange for two people to meet, because you think they might start a romantic relationship ‘How did you meet Nick?’ ‘A friend set us up.’ 11 set up home/house (also set up housekeeping American English)LIVE SOMEWHERE to get your own home, furniture etc, especially when you leave your parents’ home to live with a wife, husband, or partner Many parents try to help their children set up home.12 NOISE set up a commotion/din/racket etc to start making a loud unpleasant noise The party guests were setting up a steady din. → set up camp at camp1(1) → set→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
set up• Cahill has always protested his innocence, and insists that someone set him up.• It'll take a few minutes to set the camera up.• We've set up a microphone in the corner.• Dad set up as a builder in 1990 and now he employs over twenty men.• He wasn't guilty of the fraud. He'd been set up by his business rivals.• The Enterprise Center runs courses for people who want to set up in business on their own.• It was 6:30 and traders were already setting up their market stalls.• Kate and her partner are setting up their own printing business.• The whole thing was a set up to get Burley to confess.• Is this some kind of a set up? Why should I believe you?set (yourself) up (as something)• A small platform had been set up.• As a result, becoming an adult and setting up a household no longer mean the same thing.• Before you set up a plan, therefore, know what it is going to cost you.• Several have human resources consultancies, while Eversheds recently set up a risk management consultancy.• The invalid care allowance she receives is 33.70 a week Marian set up a support group for carers in Oxfordshire.• The agents backed off, setting up an armed perimeter around the house.• Instead, several accounts were set up and money got mixed up.• Staff have already set up eight extra beds, and other hospitals are preparing to help out.set somebody up• He said, following his arrest last fall, that the FBI had set him up.• Terry and Donald think I set them up, but it's all a big misunderstanding. set yourself up as something• Everyone thinks he can set himself up as a dramatic critic.• It's not that he wishes to set himself up as a leader.• He set himself up as a one-man cult.• After all, she was the one who'd set herself up as Jett's little helper.• Roads and Traffic in Urban Areas has, by its own proclamation, set itself up as the Bible for traffic planners.• She was too young to be setting herself up as the devoted handmaiden to the great man.• Why do they set themselves up as tradesmen if that's all they're going to do?set for• Yet today we are setting ourselves up for an even bigger fall.• The title set the song up for criticism.• The leader sets people up for success then, if it happens, tolerates their occasional failure.• If Bonanza had set Connie Fraser up for the chill, there wouldn't be anything I could do to stop it.• It sounded as if Irina was setting herself up for the planned return to Moscow, ahead of the Brückner lawyers.• The team hit virtually every routine Saturday afternoon and set itself up for what could be a shocking team medal Monday night.• How could she avoid discomfort without setting herself up for worse problems by escaping more and learning less?set up home/house• These nests will shortly be visited by the female in whose larger territory the various males have set up home.• All the costs of getting a mortgage, moving and setting up home can run into thousands.• And he set up house for her in a bungalow further along the river, in a nice secluded part.• Why not just leave - set up home in a more tolerant spiritual pew?• Thousands of them have set up home in the eaves of this house in Banbury.• The two new Mr and Mrs Kim-Soons set up house next door.• Nor do I think that it is disgraceful if two men of a loving disposition should set up home together.• Desmond Wilcox was a grown man when he chose to leave his wife and children and set up home with Esther. set up a commotion/din/racket etc• Crickets set up a racket in trees out in the yard.set-upˈset-up, setup /ˈsetʌp/ ●○○ noun 1 SITUATION[countable usually singular] the way that something is organized or arranged the traditional classroom set-up2 [countable usually singular] informalTRICK/DECEIVE a dishonest plan that is intended to trick someone How do I know this isn’t a set-up?3 [uncountable] the act of organizing something, such as a business or a computer system The IT department will assist you with installation and setup.4 SYSTEM[countable] several pieces of equipment that work together in a system ‘Do you use the school darkroom?’ ‘No, I’ve got my own setup at home.’ → set up at set1Examples from the Corpus
set-up• An efficient accounts set-up can not only save a company money: it can improve its relationship with its clients.• My last school was quite traditional, but it's a different set-up at the new one.• The kind of firing set-up used is obviously important in determining the firing atmosphere achieved.• It's an impressive set-up. The foundation brings in half a million dollars a day.• The basic lighting set-up incorporates three lamps.• This is a two-machine set-up by which original video recordings can be transferred on to copy tapes.• They're divorced, but they're still living in the same house - it seems like a strange set-up to me.• It was still a strange set-up at Four Winds.• Once the system has popped, it is more self-sustaining, self-stabilizing, not requiring the artificial crutches that set-up needed.• This is particularly true of the set-up operation.• Oh, sometimes I wish I'd never come into this set-up.• This was entirely necessary, considering that the whole set-up, complete with rocks and water, weighs about two tonnes.From Longman Business Dictionaryset something up phrasal verb [intransitive, transitive]1COMMERCEto start a company, organization, committee etcThe bank is hopeful of setting up a branch office in Shanghai soon.Better promotion of the the area is intended to make it more attractive to firms setting up.2set up shop/in business informalCOMMERCE to begin operating a businessThere are many tax advantages that encourage foreign banks to set up shop here.He would prefer to set up in business as an independent financial adviser.3to make all the arrangements so that something can happen, such as a meeting, event, or a system for doing somethingSeveral companies set up 24-hour telephone hotlines to deal with enquiries.He recently set up a stress-management class that was attended by about 60 workers. → see also set-up → set→ See Verb tableset-upˈset-up (also setup) noun [countable]1the way something is organized or arrangedThe trust will be managed by a board of directors, although that setup requires regulatory approval.2COMPUTINGall the parts that work together in a system, especially a computer systemMultimedia setups can mix video clips, recorded speech, music, and computer graphics. 