Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for setting back
Verb
-
As each mourner spoke, some holding back tears and others sobbing, Metayer’s family watched in loving silence.—
Devoun Cetoute,
Miami Herald,
4 Apr. 2026 -
These two characters have been holding back all season and not talking to each other, and this was the moment to let everything out.—
William Earl,
Variety,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In fact, the International Atomic Energy Agency had consistently certified Tehran was holding up its end of the bargain.—
Farah N. Jan,
The Conversation,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Last week, Xi met the leader of Taiwan’s main opposition party, the China-friendly Kuomintang, which is holding up a $40 billion special defense budget to purchase US weapons.—
Andy Browne,
semafor.com,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
For a worker with a $2,200 monthly benefit at full retirement age, living to 85 and delaying from 62 to 70 produces roughly $66,240 more in total lifetime benefits.—
Allison Palmer,
Miami Herald,
16 Apr. 2026
-
As a result, the agency halted balloon launches at some locations and is delaying them elsewhere.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Los Angeles spent most of Sunday slowing the tempo and trying to drag a faster, better team into the mud with them.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
20 Apr. 2026
-
With the Sun's fusion reactions slowing down, the Icarus II is launched to deliver a bomb with a mass equivalent to Manhattan Island, in the hope of reigniting the star before the Earth turns into a giant ice cube.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
19 Apr. 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
-
The government launched a fierce crackdown, killing thousands of people and detaining tens of thousands.—
Adam Geller,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Apr. 2026
-
That includes detaining someone on the basis of their immigration status or the existence of an immigration detainer for them, or allowing ICE agents to access a person in detention, or providing information to ICE about someone's status.—
Michael Smith,
USA Today,
10 Apr. 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.
Cite this Entry
“Setting back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/setting%20back. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
