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

set-piece

ˈset-ˌpēs 

adjective

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

As in the first two seasons, the credits begin with relatively idyllic details before ramping up to more elaborate set pieces. —Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 16 Feb. 2025

Sure, Mary Elizabeth Winstead's Wendy gets to save the day with some hooey about prophetic photographs, but her journey is mostly there to pad out the set pieces, which involve a roller coaster, a weight machine, and, most brilliantly, a pair of tanning beds. —Randall Colburn, EW.com, 4 Feb. 2025

The women try sketchy cash-advance loans and then giving blood, which turns into a messy set piece, executed with as much in-your-face fluid as gross-out classics like There’s Something About Mary or Monty Python’s Mr. Creosote sketch. —Fred Topel, Deadline, 17 Jan. 2025

Their reliance on set pieces has risen too, with their open play xG per 90 dropping from around 1.5 per 90 across the previous two seasons to 1.1 this season. —Sam Lee, The Athletic, 5 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1834, in the meaning defined at sense 1a