setting back

Definition of setting backnext
present participle of set back
See the Dictionary Definition 

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for setting back
Verb
  • And more pressure is coming from powerful education groups because Newsom is holding back some school funds that the constitution requires to be paid.
    Dan Walters, Mercury News, 28 May 2026
  • Smaller drones are also holding back Russian troops along the 1,250-kilometer (780-mile) front line and disrupting the supply lines of Russia’s invading army, Western analysts and officials say.
    ABC News, ABC News, 27 May 2026
Verb
  • Investors will be looking for confirmation that production of its newest chips is on schedule and that long-term customer contracts are holding up, as well as whether increasing capacity from Samsung and SK Hynix starts to threaten the tight supply that has powered Micron's rally.
    Alicia Park, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
  • The long view The expectation of a lower enrollment trend holding up is one of the key factors likely to translate into higher cost estimates as insurers draw up 2027 rates.
    Julie Appleby, CBS News, 19 May 2026
Verb
  • Hilton proposes to reform the California Environmental Quality Act so that only government prosecutors can sue, preventing private individuals and organizations from stopping or delaying new housing projects.
    Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2026
  • Nearly 40% of calls handled by Sacramento’s emergency medical services system were non-emergencies, tying up ambulances and paramedics, delaying urgent medical responses and adding nearly $5 million in costs to the city, according to a city audit.
    Reeti Malhotra May 29, Sacbee.com, 29 May 2026
Verb
  • Play resumed after a 15-minute delay with water slowing the ball and splashing up from puddles with every tackle.
    ABC News, ABC News, 31 May 2026
  • For an army dependent on long and vulnerable supply lines, slowing movement can be as valuable as destroying vehicles.
    David Kirichenko, Forbes.com, 30 May 2026
Verb
  • And moviegoers turned out to indies from Rosemead to The Chronology of Water, All That’s Left Of You and more, new and holding over, limited, wide and top ten.
    Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 11 Jan. 2026
  • MicroStrategy remains the leader among corporate crypto treasuries, holding over 638,000 bitcoins valued at an astonishing $71 billion.
    Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Sanctuary laws prohibit local police from notifying federal immigration agents about undocumented immigrants and detaining them beyond release dates for transfer to immigration detention facilities or deportation.
    Bruce Finley, Denver Post, 29 May 2026
  • On June 6, 2025, federal agents raided a downtown garment business, detaining workers and arresting labor leader David Huerta, head of Service Employees International Union California.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2026
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.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Setting back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/setting%20back. Accessed 1 Jun. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster