as in reversals
a change in status for the worse usually temporarily
the colonists persevered despite suffering setbacks that would have discouraged lesser souls
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Recent Examples of setbacks
Competing in a high-speed, high-pressure environment taught me to make the quick decisions necessary to grow a company while remaining strong in the face of setbacks.
—
Tom Dunlop, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
Despite these setbacks, MBM Motorsports is confident, banking on Wallace's past success at superspeedways to see them through.
—Lydia Mee, Newsweek, 5 Jan. 2025
But their efforts weren’t enough for Maryland (11-4, 1-3 Big Ten), which left the Pacific time zone with back-to-back setbacks after getting surprised by Washington, 75-69, on Thursday night.
—Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 5 Jan. 2025
Despite the setbacks, Matthews has still managed to tally 11 goals and 23 points in 24 games.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 4 Jan. 2025
That seems like a long shot for a right-hander who has already spent 19 seasons in the big leagues and suffered a variety of physical setbacks in recent years.
—Dan Schlossberg, Forbes, 4 Jan. 2025
In this new paradigm, workers who can effectively navigate change and bounce back from setbacks are positioning themselves as valuable assets to their organizations and industries.
—Jack Kelly, Forbes, 3 Jan. 2025
Despite these setbacks, the team has recently regained momentum and currently holds third place in the Central Division with a 23-15-0 record.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 3 Jan. 2025
JetBlue has struggled to return to profitability since the pandemic and last year, the airline faced further setbacks when engine unavailability grounded some of its planes and a merger with Spirit Airlines failed.
—Christine Chung, New York Times, 3 Jan. 2025
Tom Dunlop, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
Despite these setbacks, MBM Motorsports is confident, banking on Wallace's past success at superspeedways to see them through.
—Lydia Mee, Newsweek, 5 Jan. 2025
But their efforts weren’t enough for Maryland (11-4, 1-3 Big Ten), which left the Pacific time zone with back-to-back setbacks after getting surprised by Washington, 75-69, on Thursday night.
—Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 5 Jan. 2025
Despite the setbacks, Matthews has still managed to tally 11 goals and 23 points in 24 games.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 4 Jan. 2025
That seems like a long shot for a right-hander who has already spent 19 seasons in the big leagues and suffered a variety of physical setbacks in recent years.
—Dan Schlossberg, Forbes, 4 Jan. 2025
In this new paradigm, workers who can effectively navigate change and bounce back from setbacks are positioning themselves as valuable assets to their organizations and industries.
—Jack Kelly, Forbes, 3 Jan. 2025
Despite these setbacks, the team has recently regained momentum and currently holds third place in the Central Division with a 23-15-0 record.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 3 Jan. 2025
JetBlue has struggled to return to profitability since the pandemic and last year, the airline faced further setbacks when engine unavailability grounded some of its planes and a merger with Spirit Airlines failed.
—Christine Chung, New York Times, 3 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Setbacks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/setbacks. Accessed 18 Apr. 2025.
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