set down

verb

set down; setting down; sets down

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

• seat
• sit

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

Playing in balmy conditions on a packed Court Seven at Roland Garros, Navarro roared back in the first set down 3-5 to force a tiebreaker. —Lukas Weese, The Athletic, 30 July 2024

Javier Bardem, currently starring in his first television series in Netflix’s Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, is setting down the river for more TV work. —Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Nov. 2024

Once, my cruise ship roommate set down her purse on a chair next to her at a sidewalk cafe and didn’t even notice when a quick thief snagged it. —Kelsey Glennon, Travel + Leisure, 20 Oct. 2024

In a lengthy and eloquent letter, Laura set down her husband’s final hours. —Paul Lindholdt, JSTOR Daily, 11 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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