as in holds back
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sets back
Verb
-
Sophie holds back and cries in her room.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
29 Jan. 2026 -
Neutral is considered a spot that neither boosts nor holds back economic activity, and the funds rate is just half a percentage point above where most on the FOMC see the rate landing over the long term.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
3 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Paired with the Country Fried Steak, an 8-ounce beef steak lightly coated, fried, and topped with white gravy, the table has something substantial that holds up as the game stretches on.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Cumming holds up his iPhone to the camera, proudly boasting about still-unseen looks in all their campy and ridiculous glory.—
Jonathan Borge,
InStyle,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
When an airport cancels or delays a flight, that means additional cargo is delayed.—
Terell Bailey,
CBS News,
30 Jan. 2026
-
This practice erodes programming, delays medical care, and increases fatigue and safety risks for everyone inside federal prisons.—
Walter Pavlo,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Each year added to a project slows the creation of new homes, leaving individuals and families waiting longer for safe, stable, and affordable homes.—
Carlina Rivera,
New York Daily News,
31 Jan. 2026
-
The Golden State’s extreme reliance on the personal income tax means that when incomes are high in California, revenue collections are strong, but when the economy slows and incomes fall, state revenue weakens drastically too.—
Lanhee J. Chen,
Mercury News,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Stir in chard ribs and stems and cook until slightly softened, about 1 minute.—
Rebecca Firkser,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
-
This inconsistency stems partly from inadequate training but also from a system that doesn't effectively reward excellence or address poor performance.—
Steve Forbes,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Police have reported three incidents, all of them just blocks from each other in the South Shore and Grand Crossing communities.—
Natalie Goldstick,
CBS News,
26 Jan. 2026
-
The 24-year-old succeeds against all three levels of the pass defense, blocks well against defensive backs and even front-seven defenders and runs for yards off jet-motion touches, screens and downfield passes.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Hot honey salmon keeps well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.—
Shilpa Uskokovic,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Daniel, for his part, keeps his feet on the ground amid aspirations for bigger milestones.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Independent groups like Human Rights Watch say the Venezuelan government intimidates human rights advocates, arrests and detains protesters and harasses journalists.—
Syra Ortiz Blanes,
Miami Herald,
14 Jan. 2026
-
The Pinault family owns 42 percent of shares in Kering and detains 59 percent of voting rights.—
Joelle Diderich,
Footwear News,
9 Sep. 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Sets back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sets%20back. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
