set down

verb

set down; setting down; sets down
Synonyms of set downnext

transitive verb

1
: to cause to sit down : seat
2
: to place at rest on a surface or on the ground
3
: to suspend (a jockey) from racing
4
: to cause or allow to get off a vehicle : deliver
5
: to land (an airplane) on the ground or water
6
a
: ordain, establish
b
: to put in writing
7
a
: regard, consider
set him down as a liar
b
: attribute

Synonyms of set down

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of set down in a Sentence

set the toddler down in her seat set down the names of those in attendance
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Right-hander Braxton Roxby made his major league debut for San Francisco in the ninth and set down the Diamondbacks in order. — ABC News, 29 Aug. 2026 Over the next several decades, Mexican American families poured in and set down roots. — Marissa J. Lang, NPR, 28 Aug. 2026 As one example of how this ropes in unwitting people who aren’t aware of the privacy risks of nearby glasses, the complaint cited one video where a user set down his Meta glasses on his nightstand, which then captured video of his wife undressing. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2026 The left-hander had set down 11 straight batters before that swing by Arozarena, a Yankees nemesis for years. — Cbs New York Team, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for set down

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of set down was in the 15th century

Rhymes for set down

See All Rhymes for set down

Browse Nearby Words

set by
set down
Sète
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Set down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/set%20down. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

set down

verb
1
: to cause to sit down : seat
2
: to place at rest on a surface or on the ground
3
: to land (an airplane) on the ground or water
4
: establish sense 2
the government set down laws
5
: to put in writing
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All