Wordul · all words

noun · 2 syllables · /'sɛt.ʌp/

SETUP

What does "SETUP" mean?

The way something is arranged, organized, or configured.

Meanings

  1. The arrangement or configuration of equipment, a system, or an organization. Their home-office setup had three monitors and a standing desk.
  2. The opening part of a joke or story that prepares for the punchline. The setup was long, but the punchline landed perfectly.
  3. A scheme to deceive, frame, or trap someone. He swore the whole arrest was a setup. informal
  4. The process of installing or preparing software or a device for use. The printer setup took only a few minutes. technical

Word origin

A compound of the verb 'set' plus 'up', written as a single noun; 'set' descends from Old English 'settan' (to cause to sit, place).

Remember it

SETUP is just 'set up' fused into a noun - you SET things UP, then live with the setup.

A little poem

Every joke and every trap is built the same dark way:
a patient, pleasant setup - then the thing you didn't say.

couplet

Wordplay

  • The comedian and the con artist both relied on a good setup - one wanted you to laugh, the other wanted you to look away.

What it teaches

Punchlines and ambushes share an architecture: watch the part that asks you to relax.

Quick facts

What does SETUP mean?

The way something is arranged, organized, or configured.

Is SETUP a valid word?

Yes — SETUP is one of the answer words in Wordul, the daily word game.

How many letters is SETUP?

SETUP has 5 letters and 2 syllables.

Where does SETUP come from?

A compound of the verb 'set' plus 'up', written as a single noun; 'set' descends from Old English 'settan' (to cause to sit, place).

What can SETUP teach us?

Punchlines and ambushes share an architecture: watch the part that asks you to relax.

How players do

Be the first to solve it.

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