set up — arrange or establish
phrasal verbB1IELTS 5+neutralcore
to organize or start something, such as a business, event, or system
Say it like a native
Textbook I will establish the necessary arrangements for the meeting.
Native I'll set up the meeting.
'Set up' is the natural verb for arranging or starting things. 'Establish the necessary arrangements' is heavy and formal.
Pattern: set up [noun]
In use
- They decided to set up a small café near the university.work
- In my opinion, it takes a lot of planning and teamwork to set up a successful community project.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ We set up a meeting to the new client.
✓ We set up a meeting with the new client.
You set up a meeting WITH someone, not 'to' someone.
Common collocations
set up + thing started— a business, an account, a meeting, a system
Don't confuse it
'Set up' is about starting or arranging something, while 'set off' means to begin a journey.
Related
- set up (prepare equipment) — Another meaning of 'set up' is 'prepare equipment'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.