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
What visual effects supervisor Ben Snow’s team achieved in creating six distinct, realistic tornados for each of the film’s big action set pieces is remarkable, but that alone is not enough to sell the movie magic.
—Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 19 July 2024
The set pieces are grand in scale but hollow, compared to Thrones’ best battle scenes, in impact.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 17 July 2024
Deep in the second, Franch punched away an incoming Houston corner — a big relief, considering the Current’s lackluster defense against set pieces this season, which had culminated in a frustrating tie with Chicago two weeks ago.
—Kylie Volavongsa, Kansas City Star, 29 June 2024
The absurd set pieces have a beefcake-camp power, from the Ancient Egypt opening to the nuclear montage to Magneto's vengeful return to Auschwitz.
—Nick Romano, EW.com, 26 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for set piece 
Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 19 July 2024
The set pieces are grand in scale but hollow, compared to Thrones’ best battle scenes, in impact.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 17 July 2024
Deep in the second, Franch punched away an incoming Houston corner — a big relief, considering the Current’s lackluster defense against set pieces this season, which had culminated in a frustrating tie with Chicago two weeks ago.
—Kylie Volavongsa, Kansas City Star, 29 June 2024
The absurd set pieces have a beefcake-camp power, from the Ancient Egypt opening to the nuclear montage to Magneto's vengeful return to Auschwitz.
—Nick Romano, EW.com, 26 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for set piece
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'set piece.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near set piece
Cite this Entry
“Set piece.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/set%20piece. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.
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