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

An exposition-heavy opening third, prone to repetition, offers a wobbly scaffolding on which Cruise and McQuarrie hang some truly spectacular set pieces. —Thomas Page, CNN Money, 15 May 2025

With sphincter-tightening set pieces, blockbusters do not get much better than this. —Jack Dunn, Variety, 13 May 2025

Those were the 11th and 12th occasions Arsenal have conceded from a set piece in the 2024-25 Premier League campaign. —James McNicholas, New York Times, 3 May 2025

Huitema scored an equalizer for Seattle in the 50th minute on a close range header assisted by Samantha Meza on a corner kick set piece. —Christian Vieyra, Mercury News, 27 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1834, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for set piece

• apiece
• aris
• assise
• caprice
• cerise
• decease
• decrease
• eyepiece
• facepiece
• handpiece
• headpiece
• increase