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

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

Her losses, both by decision, came against Amanda Nunes, including a September 2017 split decision setback against then-champ Nunes. —Trent Reinsmith, Forbes.com, 4 Sep. 2025

The ruling remains a setback for the government’s effort to rein in Big Tech, which also includes cases against Facebook-parent Meta and Amazon, as well as a separate case against Alphabet involving its advertising business. —Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2025

Verb

Some neural network researchers came to blame Minsky for setting back the field by decades. —Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2025

Their missile production capability has been set back also by a significant period of time. —Meredith Wolf Schizer, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Aug. 2025

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