as in holds back
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sets back
Verb
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Nmecha holds back, posing doubt for Sanchez and a narrow window for his pass out.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
20 Mar. 2026 -
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
Verb
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If the forecast high of 91 holds up, that would be about 15 degrees warmer than normal and would match the daily record for March 20 set exactly 50 years ago in 1976.—
Roberto Villalpando,
Austin American Statesman,
20 Mar. 2026
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Whether that outlook holds up likely will depend on how things play out in the Middle East.—
Sean Conlon,Pia Singh,
CNBC,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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With annuals like snapdragons, removing flower stalks delays the formation of seed production and the plants send out more shoots.—
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
21 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.—
Lauran Neergaard,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In the early hours, the sympathetic Moon enters practical Taurus, and our pace slows to highlight comfort, honesty, and reliability.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
21 Mar. 2026
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Polk told me she’s often asked if her mother ever slows down.—
Steve Lopez,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Stronger principle branches produce bigger flowers while side shoots and stems produce a greater abundance of smaller flowers.—
Barbara Gillette,
The Spruce,
16 Mar. 2026
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Fossils of early land plants, such as Cooksonia, date back to about 430 million years ago and show small branching stems only an inch or two tall.—
Erin Potter,
The Conversation,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Another young woman dripped blood down her nose from a gash hastily covered by a strip of fabric tied around her forehead just blocks away, while still walking into the masses along the route with her friends.—
Grace Zokovitch,
Boston Herald,
16 Mar. 2026
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Just blocks away, the Cleveland Clinic also is opening a 130,000-square-foot outpatient clinic in the 15 CityPlace office tower, under construction by Related Ross.—
Cindy Krischer Goodman,
Sun Sentinel,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Using a patient, practical tone keeps everyone focused on useful results.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
17 Mar. 2026
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These are the kinds of assurances that candidates make when everyone keeps harping on their age.—
Mark Leibovich,
The Atlantic,
16 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 23 Mar. 2026.
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