setback

1 of 2

noun

set·​back ˈset-ˌbak 

1

: a checking of progress

2

: defeat, reverse

3

: pitch entry 4 sense 7

4

: a placing of a face of a building on a line some distance to the rear of the building line or of the wall below

also : the area produced by a setback

5

: automatic scheduled adjustment to a lower temperature setting of a thermostat

6

: the distance of a structure or other feature (such as a well or septic system) from the property line or other feature

set back

2 of 2

verb

set back; setting back; sets back

transitive verb

1

: to slow the progress of : hinder, delay

2

: cost

a new suit will set you back $200

Synonyms of setback

Noun

• reversal
• reverse

Examples of setback in a Sentence

Noun

Despite some early setbacks, they eventually became a successful company.

The explorers persevered despite suffering setbacks that would have discouraged those with lesser ambition.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

David Heavens met Frank, a 91-year-old Navy veteran, while navigating a devastating personal setback, one that left him homeless and sleeping in his car. —Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 4 Feb. 2026

What follows is not a quick montage of temporary setbacks, but a grinding legal odyssey through an all-too-familiar hell determined to make the already-struggling Amanda pay for someone else’s mistake. —Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 4 Feb. 2026

Verb

Coldest South Florida temperatures on record The coldest record high for Miami is 57 degrees, set back in 1979. —Cbs Miami Team, CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026

When daylight saving time ends, clocks are set back one hour to standard time. —Haadiza Ogwude, Cincinnati Enquirer, 26 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1674, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for setback

• aback
• anzac
• attack
• backpack
• backtrack
• bareback
• blackjack
• brownback
• buyback
• callback
• cognac
• comeback

Kids Definition

setback

noun

set·​back ˈset-ˌbak 

: a slowing of progress : a temporary defeat