sets back

verb

present tense third-person singular of set back
as in holds back

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sets back
  1. holds back
  2. holds up
  3. delays
  4. slows
  5. stems
  6. blocks
  7. keeps
  8. detains
Verb
  • 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
Definition of holds back
Verb
  • The diagnosis holds up, and the crypto casino economy has grown on that demand.
    — Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2026
  • If the offensive line holds up, at least better than the year before, then the ground game should be able to win the time-of-possession battle, wear down opponents and open up the passing game.
    — Connor Dullinger, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of holds up
Verb
  • Nearly all report that the process contributes to burnout and delays care.
    — Richard Menger MD MPA, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Cellphone use before bed delays the natural drop in cortisol that teenagers need to fall asleep, according to Alice Hoagland, PhD, director of the Insomnia Clinic at the Rochester Regional Sleep Disorder Center.
    — Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of delays
Verb
  • If that question goes unanswered, adoption slows, resistance builds and the value of the change never fully materializes.
    — Eric Giesecke, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Once the decision is made, continuing to relitigate it creates confusion, erodes trust, and slows execution.
    — Johnny C. Taylor Jr, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of slows
Verb
  • Summary Productivity expert Neal Schore challenges conventional wisdom, arguing that true time loss stems not from poor planning but from internal factors like fear, overthinking, and emotional habits.
    — Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Bresnahan’s passion for education stems back to her childhood.
    — Cam'ron Hardy, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of stems
Verb
  • Webb’s infrared vision is particularly useful here because infrared light can penetrate dust that blocks much of the visible light, giving astronomers a better look at the processes taking place inside stellar nurseries.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Seminole blocks a Lake Nona 39-yard field goal attempt and Joseph Watson IV grabs the ball and takes it to the house for the go-ahead score.
    — Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of blocks
Verb
  • Connecticut Coalition for Pretrial Justice formed to press for reform of the cash bail system in Connecticut, something the group said keeps people behind bars not based on safety concerns but on their ability to pay.
    — Kaitlin McCallum, Hartford Courant, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The timeline keeps changing while this community is left waiting.
    — Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of keeps
Verb
  • The policy guidance applies to agents under Enforcement and Removal Operations, the branch of ICE that detains and ultimately deports undocumented immigrants.
    — Philip Wang, Time, 14 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of detains
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.

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sets at
sets back
sets by
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Cite this Entry

“Sets back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sets%20back. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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