as in holds back
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Recent Examples of Synonyms for sets back
Verb
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Samsung traditionally holds back one color in the Galaxy S range to be a web exclusive and drive consumers to its website, although typically this is one of the standard black or grey colors.—
Ewan Spence,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026 -
The hydropower from Glen Canyon Dam that holds back Lake Powell serves more than 350,000 homes.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 May 2026
Verb
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Henry Fonda gives one of his most iconic performances in a movie that holds up nearly seven decades after it was released.—
Brian Tallerico,
Vulture,
19 June 2026
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McDowell isn’t convinced the comparison holds up.—
Chris Stokel-Walker,
Scientific American,
12 June 2026
Verb
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The deal delays highly technical discussions over the mechanics of unwinding Iran’s nuclear program.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
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Lowe said that the government’s statutory inquiry risks becoming another long process that delays accountability, comparing it to other British scandals where official reckoning came only years later.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
17 June 2026
Verb
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Contractors claim that compliance with these laws and regulations slows down weapons delivery to the military but provide little to no evidence to support that claim.—
Julia Gledhill,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2026
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Studies have found that bacteria growth on red meat in particular only slows—but doesn’t stop—with proper packaging and storage.—
Caroline Lubinsky,
Martha Stewart,
20 June 2026
Verb
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Giving stems a very gentle shake when flowers first appear will help encourage fruit to set.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
16 June 2026
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Avoid the woody stems, which don't have the same flavor as the younger leaves.—
Heather Bien,
The Spruce,
15 June 2026
Verb
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Or a delivery truck that blocks a driver's view at a busy corner.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
15 June 2026
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The decision effectively blocks foreign governments, businesses, researchers, and individuals, as well as foreign nationals residing in the US, from using the company’s latest AI systems.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
13 June 2026
Verb
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Pace’s pass-rush potential keeps him in the fold, but Flores prefers not to play him on passing downs.—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
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The microbe lives under the eyelid and keeps producing the anti-inflammatory protein over time.—
Samantha Agate,
Kansas City Star,
16 June 2026
Verb
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Alligator Alcatraz houses a few hundred employees in trailers and detains about 650 male immigrants in large tents; until a few weeks ago, the number of those being detained was nearly 1,500.—
Eric Schlosser,
The Atlantic,
4 June 2026
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What are your rights if ICE detains you?—
Laura Daniella Sepulveda,
AZCentral.com,
29 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 Jun. 2026.
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