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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The setback casts fresh uncertainty on the Republican effort to dismantle former President Barack Obama’s signature health-care law.
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In fact, Barrera quickly recovered from the setback against Ward with knockout victories over Vyacheslav Shabranskyy and Paul Parker.
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OMAHA, Neb. — The Louisville baseball team suffered a College World Series setback in its 5-1 loss to Florida on Tuesday, but despair not, Cards fans – where there's a will, there's a way.
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Eliseu Padilha, the administration’s chief of staff, told Bloomberg the defeat was a minor setback, but that the result would eventually be reversed.
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Despite the setback, the Nazis maintain their stranglehold on the world.
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One of the most attractive aspects of owning property in Atherton — big lots with plenty of setback from the street for privacy — is sometimes also a hindrance to security, when burglars can break in without being seen.
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Don't Catastrophize Shake off unexpected setbacks and stop worrying about how these blunders look to other people.
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Despite the setback, the Nazis maintain their stranglehold on the world.
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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