setback 1 of 2

noun

ˈset-ˌbak How to pronounce setback (audio)
Definition of setbacknext
as in reversal
a change in status for the worse usually temporarily The explorers persevered despite suffering setbacks that would have discouraged lesser souls.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

set back

2 of 2

verb

as in to hold back

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of setback
Noun
Spain lost the 2025 Nations League final to Portugal on penalties, its first defeat of note under De la Fuente in a major final, but the setback did nothing to unsettle the federation’s plan. — Sam Leveridge, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026 Despite that setback, clinical trials for psychedelics have continued apace with positive outcomes. — Bob Woods, CNBC, 19 July 2026
Verb
Plans set back by pad explosion During the spring and summer months this year, multiple sources told Ars that Bezos was involved in fundraising activities for Blue Origin. — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 8 July 2026 The idea has sparked debate, the sources said, with some officials worried that a pause would set back the department’s efforts to hire more police officers and replenish its dwindling ranks. — Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for setback
Recent Examples of Synonyms for setback
  1. reversal
  2. hold back
  3. reverse
  4. hold up
  5. delay
  6. slow
  7. detain
  8. retard
Noun
  • Adults are being told to spend a few minutes a day flat on the floor, chest down, head lifted, in a deliberate reversal of the posture that dominates most of modern life.
    — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 23 July 2026
  • This famed chemist had previously extolled the virtues of fertilizer as the answer to soil exhaustion, so his sudden reversal on the issue left a lasting impression on his contemporaries.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 July 2026
Definition of reversal
Verb
  • United hold back 200 tickets from each away allocation (typically 3,000) for their players, and not all of these are taken.
    — Andy Mitten, New York Times, 22 July 2026
  • Lenders financing these projects tend to hold back the money until the asset is covered for its full build cost, so the insurance question comes with a hard financial edge attached.
    — Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
Definition of hold back
Noun
  • It was tested in both forward-spraying and reverse-suction modes.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 13 July 2026
  • The Charlotte Latin Mass Community, which once helped Latin Masses spread to more than a dozen locations, saw that expansion reverse after Pope Francis restricted the older rite in 2021.
    — Emily Broyles, Charlotte Observer, 10 July 2026
Definition of reverse
Verb
  • The material doesn’t pill and has held up after countless washes.
    — Rylee Johnston, PEOPLE, 19 July 2026
  • All traffic in Washington was held up to allow their buses to proceed to each destination without delay.
    — Tom Strong, Chicago Tribune, 19 July 2026
Definition of hold up
Verb
  • When that first weekend closure did happen, Sunday night rain did not delay the lanes’ opening early Monday.
    — Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 19 July 2026
  • The midfielder was deemed to have delayed a restart by throwing the ball away.
    — Graham Scott, New York Times, 19 July 2026
Definition of delay
Verb
  • Its economy is struggling, public services are strained and improvements in living standards have slowed to a crawl in recent decades.
    — Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 18 July 2026
  • Wall Street’s support for Netflix is wavering after the streaming platform’s latest results on Thursday failed to ease concerns over slowing growth, with a number of analysts slashing price targets for the stock.
    — Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 17 July 2026
Definition of slow
Verb
  • This spring, the FBI detained a former aide to Fauci, and federal officials banned a virus researcher in North Carolina from receiving federal funding.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 22 July 2026
  • Police detained Schmidt twice during the altercation, originally placing him into the police vehicle after the officer shot his black Labrador, according to eyewitness Paul Bates.
    — Gabe White, Arkansas Online, 21 July 2026
Definition of detain
Verb
  • As engine revs increase, centrifugal force alters the valve timing by a few degrees, either advancing or retarding it.
    — Utkarsh Sood June 17, New Atlas, 17 June 2025
  • Genesis Yes, the thing retarding recruitment below pre-2022 levels may be, at least in part, a military-wide health-records update that, much like MyChart in the civilian health-care world, tracks the medications of all service members.
    — Luther Ray Abel, National Review, 9 Feb. 2024
Definition of retard

Browse Nearby Words

set at
setback
set back
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Cite this Entry

“Setback.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/setback. Accessed 24 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on setback

Nglish: Translation of setback for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about setback

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