as in holds back
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sets back
Verb
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The company holds back 30% of the equity to cover its selling costs, settlement charges and miscellaneous other fees, including 9% per day on all advanced funds.—
Lew Sichelman,
Miami Herald,
26 Feb. 2026 -
Sophie holds back and cries in her room.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The pieces knit together to form a cast iron surface that sheds water, smothers weeds and holds up for a long time.—
Paul Cappiello,
Louisville Courier Journal,
6 Mar. 2026
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Chet Holmgren misses a minute, and Isaiah Hartenstein holds up the rim protection.—
Fred Katz,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Too much light in the evening — that extra hour from daylight saving time — delays that surge and the cycle gets out of sync.—
Lauran Neergaard,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
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Too much light in the evening — that extra hour from daylight saving time — delays that surge and the cycle gets out of sync.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Martinez's car slows to a crawl -- nearly a full stop -- for pedestrians in the crosswalk.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Mar. 2026
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Martinez's car slows to a crawl — nearly a full stop — for pedestrians in the crosswalk.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Today’s fusion of private wealth and political power stems in part from a half-century of what many view as misguided Supreme Court decisions.—
Daniel Weiner,
Time,
9 Mar. 2026
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Determinate varieties can produce very heavy crop loads and develop shorter, thicker stems to support the weight of fruit.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The lawsuit says the administration's decision to place the firm on what is effectively a blacklist that blocks Pentagon suppliers from using Claude is an attempt to punish the company over its AI guardrails.—
Bobby Allyn,
NPR,
9 Mar. 2026
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As their bold production takes shape, a rival white theatre mounts its own Richard III just blocks away, threatening to undermine, overshadow, and outmaneuver them.—
Cincinnati Enquirer,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Ryan Coogler’s screenplay keeps every one of its promises.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
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And as lawyers continue reviewing records one case at a time, advocates say the clock keeps ticking, not just on legal filings, but on the lives of families who may never see those cases resolved.—
Laura Rodríguez Presa,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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What are your rights if ICE detains you?—
Laura Daniella Sepulveda,
AZCentral.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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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
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Cite this Entry
“Sets back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sets%20back. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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