Definition of setback
1 : a checking of progress
3 : 4pitch 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
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Examples of setback in a Sentence
Despite some early setbacks, they eventually became a successful company.
the colonists persevered despite suffering setbacks that would have discouraged lesser souls
Recent Examples of setback from the Web
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Today’s setback would just lead to tomorrow’s advance.
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Goldman Sachs’ CEO tweeted for the first time, calling the move a setback for the world.
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There are fewer of those cases than expected and their political setbacks seldom display signs of foreign malfeasance.
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After experiencing a setback by pushing it too hard, the Mariners are being cautious.
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Both runs ended in the quarterfinals, including a 12-4 setback to Naperville Central on May 18 at Stevenson.
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Less than a week later, Cooper was dealt yet another setback, this time after getting drilled on the left forearm by Alabama's Sydney Littlejohn on May 6.
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The new state laws force cities to soften regulations for granny flats regarding parking, installation of fire sprinklers, requirements to hook up public utilities and rules requiring setbacks – buffer areas between structures and property lines.
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He was expected to begin a running program last week at the team’s spring training facility in Florida and, barring setbacks, return this week.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'setback'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of setback
1674
SETBACK Defined for English Language Learners
setback
playDefinition of setback for English Language Learners
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: a problem that makes progress more difficult or success less likely
SETBACK Defined for Kids
setback
playDefinition of setback for Students
: a slowing of progress : a temporary defeat Despite several setbacks we finished on schedule.
Learn More about setback
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See words that rhyme with setback Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for setback Spanish Central: Translation of setback Nglish: Translation of setback for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of setback for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about setback
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