1.
to prepare a machine or program for use
“Can you set up the printer?”
“I set up my new computer yesterday.”
Synonyms: to install, to configure
Phrasal verb
What does set up mean?
Meaning: to prepare something for use; to start a business
B1
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Quick answer
Set up = to prepare something so it works (a computer, a printer). It can also mean to start a company or a group, or to organise a meeting. Set up the printer = get the printer ready to use. Set up a meeting = organise a meeting. It is separable.
Meanings of the phrasal verb
2.
to start a company or an organisation
“They set up a charity.”
“She set up her own business.”
Synonyms: to establish, to found
3.
to organise a meeting or an event
common“Let's set up a meeting next week.”
Synonyms: to arrange, to organize
4.
to trick someone so they look guilty
idiomatic“I think they set me up.”
Word order
Separable
The object can go between the verb and the particle. With a pronoun (it, them), it always goes between.
Forms
- Present Simple:
- set up
- Past Simple:
- set up
- Past participle:
- set up
- -ing form:
- setting up
Common mistakes to avoid
Same form: set / set / set
Set is irregular, but its forms do not change: set → set → set. Yesterday I set up my computer (Past Simple, the same as the present). Never I setted up ❌.
With a pronoun: between set and up
Set it up ✓ / Set up it ❌. A pronoun (it, them) always goes between set and up.
Practice quiz
Question 1 / 3The Big Challenge question bank
Related pages: set up
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
What's next?
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Frequently asked questions
What does set up mean?+
Set up has many meanings: (1) to prepare a machine or program so it works; (2) to start a company or a group; (3) to organise a meeting; (4) to trick someone so they look guilty. It is a very useful verb.
Is set up separable?+
Yes. With a noun, both orders work: set up the camera / set the camera up. With a pronoun, the pronoun goes in the middle: set it up.
What does setup mean?+
The noun a setup (one word) has two meanings: (1) the way things are arranged, for example your computer and its programs; (2) a trick to make someone look guilty. The new setup works well = the new system works well. It was a setup = it was a trick.
What is the difference between set up and install?+
Both are used with computers. Install = to put a program on a computer. Set up = to install it AND make it ready to use. Set up often means the whole job, until everything works.
How do you say start a business in English?+
You can say set up a business, set up a company or start a business. Set up describes the whole job of creating it, with all the planning and paperwork.
Updated on 12 November 2026 by the Big Challenge teaching team. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999. Our teaching approach →
The Big Challenge · Updated on 12 November 2026 · Source: www.thebigchallenge.com/bl/academy/learn-english/phrasal-verbs/set-up
© The Big Challenge. Copying allowed for classroom use. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999.