SETTING BACK Synonyms: 76 Similar and Opposite Words

setting back

verb

present participle of set back

as in holding back

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for setting back

Verb

Some investors are holding back until next year’s potentially tight presidential election, worried that if Milei loses, the next government could unravel his free-market reforms.

— ABC News, ABC News, 2 Nov. 2026
Africa remains the continent with the largest electricity access gap, holding back economic growth and industrial development.

— Ruben Nyanguila, semafor.com, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of holding back

Verb

It's supposed to be a sweeping and constructive process, akin to holding up a mirror to governments to improve their human rights policies.

— ABC News, ABC News, 10 Nov. 2026
It’s supposed to be a sweeping and constructive process, akin to holding up a mirror to governments to improve their human rights policies.

— Jamey Keaten, Los Angeles Times, 10 Nov. 2026

Definition of holding up

Verb

Californians have kept our end of that bargain, but insurance companies have broken their side of the promise by denying, delaying and underpaying valid claims and dropping coverage.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026
The tool has been blamed by doctors and patients for delaying necessary care.

— Berkeley Lovelace Jr, NBC news, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of delaying

Verb

Alex Stack, a Bass spokesperson, said the requests being made by the carpenters would have driven up the cost of affordable housing production, while also slowing down approval at City Hall.

— David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 8 Nov. 2026
Closing the tax code’s carveouts to special interests would help, but there is no path to sustainability that avoids cutting (or slowing the growth of) benefits, raising eligibility ages to reflect longer lives and putting Medicare on a budget.

— Veronique De Rugy, Oc Register, 7 Nov. 2026

Definition of slowing

Verb

The country's telecom and internet service market is dominated by Reliance Chairman Mukesh Ambani's Jio and Sunil Mittal's Airtel, with both companies together holding over 80% market share.

— Anniek Bao, CNBC, 9 Oct. 2026
There are more than 300 such foundations across the country, holding over $40 billion in assets, according to Grantmakers In Health (paywall).

— Laura MacDonald, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of holding over

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setting at

setting back

setting by

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“Setting back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/setting%20back. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of setting back

verb

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