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
After missing 27 consecutive games with a sore right knee, days of rehab and setbacks, that simple gesture said it all.
—
Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 6 Apr. 2026
Getafe's only setbacks recently were 1-0 losses to Sevilla at home and to Atletico Madrid away.
—ABC News, 5 Apr. 2026
With strong leadership and direction, what first appears as setbacks can in fact be a jumping-off point for invention and growth.
—Paul Fitzgerald, Rolling Stone, 3 Apr. 2026
In revisiting Lehmann’s story, Strager highlights that Lehmann’s legacy is one of resilience and perseverance—proof that early setbacks do not define a person and that brilliance can flourish, even later in life.
—Carol Sutton Lewis, Scientific American, 3 Apr. 2026
Guard Raven Johnson said Staley did a good job of ramping up the intensity after the early-season setbacks, holding them to the program’s standard that has been built over the past two decades.
—David Brandt, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
Rodriguez’s setbacks can be chalked up, in part, to bad luck.
—Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 3 Apr. 2026
The news comes after a few months of public relations setbacks for the company.
—Hayden Field, The Verge, 3 Apr. 2026
Of those seven losses, setbacks against Dallas and Chicago (while both were still trying to win) and Milwaukee could at least be rationalized.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 30 Mar. 2026
Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 6 Apr. 2026
Getafe's only setbacks recently were 1-0 losses to Sevilla at home and to Atletico Madrid away.
—ABC News, 5 Apr. 2026
With strong leadership and direction, what first appears as setbacks can in fact be a jumping-off point for invention and growth.
—Paul Fitzgerald, Rolling Stone, 3 Apr. 2026
In revisiting Lehmann’s story, Strager highlights that Lehmann’s legacy is one of resilience and perseverance—proof that early setbacks do not define a person and that brilliance can flourish, even later in life.
—Carol Sutton Lewis, Scientific American, 3 Apr. 2026
Guard Raven Johnson said Staley did a good job of ramping up the intensity after the early-season setbacks, holding them to the program’s standard that has been built over the past two decades.
—David Brandt, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
Rodriguez’s setbacks can be chalked up, in part, to bad luck.
—Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 3 Apr. 2026
The news comes after a few months of public relations setbacks for the company.
—Hayden Field, The Verge, 3 Apr. 2026
Of those seven losses, setbacks against Dallas and Chicago (while both were still trying to win) and Milwaukee could at least be rationalized.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 30 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for setbacks
Noun
-
Since the Middle Ages, this festival of uninhibited revelry and role reversals has provided the ultimate litmus test for what is and isn’t considered socially acceptable.—
Tim Brinkhof,
JSTOR Daily,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The reversals could have massive implications for the November midterm elections, particularly in competitive congressional districts where small swings could determine control of the House.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Most of those came on reverses or other wide runs.—
Nick Harris,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
22 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Setbacks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/setbacks. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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