set (oneself) up as (something)

phrasal verb

set (oneself) up as (something); setting (oneself) up as (something); sets (oneself) up as (something)

1

: to try to make people believe that one is (something)

He sets himself up as a defender of the people, but he's really only interested in getting more power.

2

: to start one's own business

She set herself up as a wedding planner.

Examples of set (oneself) up as (something) in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Fed was originally set up as an organization theoretically independent of politics and whatever party was in power. —Erik Sherman, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025

However, the registry had not been set up as of Wednesday. —Armando Garcia, ABC News, 26 Feb. 2025

So far, they've been set up as a big antagonist, and the first trailer for Prime 4 confirmed our suspicions. —Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 25 Feb. 2025

The attic level, with skylights, is set up as a den, and the bathroom here has a walk-in shower. —Angela Serratore, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2025