as in reversal
a change in status for the worse usually temporarily
the colonists persevered despite suffering setbacks that would have discouraged lesser souls
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to hold back
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of setback
Charmaine Patterson, People.com, 19 Dec. 2024
This all comes despite a setback in October with an E. coli outbreak linked to slivered onions on its Quarter Pounders.
—Francisco Velasquez, Quartz, 17 Dec. 2024
Anthony D. Romero, Twin Cities, 6 Dec. 2024
The pandemic set back the process two or three years.
—Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 29 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for setback 
Noun
The release date comes after the movie, written and directed by Elijah Bynum, had a setback amid Majors' legal issues with his former girlfriend Grace Jabbari.
—Charmaine Patterson, People.com, 19 Dec. 2024
This all comes despite a setback in October with an E. coli outbreak linked to slivered onions on its Quarter Pounders.
—Francisco Velasquez, Quartz, 17 Dec. 2024
Verb
The recent retrenchment on the political left and center may set back the cause of trans equality — and equal protection more broadly.
—Anthony D. Romero, Twin Cities, 6 Dec. 2024
The pandemic set back the process two or three years.
—Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 29 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for setback
Recent Examples of Synonyms for setback
Noun
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The reversal, perhaps typical of our time, is that, whereas the Welles broadcast was a program that, heard indoors, thrust people in terror out-of-doors, our drone panic involves an outdoor occurrence that people race inside to make sense of.Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2024
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Yet in a few respects, a bit of wobbly action in the indexes, surge in volatility and reversals in some of the more overheated assets were overdue and probably necessary to test the bull market against higher bond yields and a more-foggy policy horizon.Michael Santoli, CNBC, 21 Dec. 2024
Verb
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In traditional teams, individuals often hold back critical insights for fear of overstepping boundaries or creating conflict.Keith Ferrazzi, Forbes, 15 Dec. 2024
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Erin and Jack held back from sharing the news of their reunion at the dinner table and instead discussed the indictment for Badillo’s killer.Stephanie Wenger, People.com, 14 Dec. 2024
Noun
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At night, the process goes in reverse, to calm the body down for sleep.Marla Broadfoot, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Dec. 2024
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According to the claims, this parallel universe was formed alongside ours during the Big Bang and would be running in reverse from our perspective.Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Without Shaw, City do not have a physical presence to hold up the ball.Jessy Parker Humphreys, The Athletic, 19 Dec. 2024
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The skillet holds up to 12 ounces and can be used on the stovetop, in the oven, on a grill, or even over a campfire.Kaitlin Gates, Southern Living, 18 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The flight was delayed nearly two hours by the whole ordeal.Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 27 Dec. 2024
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More than 100 flights were delayed and dozens more canceled Thursday at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.arkansasonline.com, arkansasonline.com, 27 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The luxury market is experiencing a global slowdown, with spending across the board either slowed or falling for several months.Martin Lerma, Robb Report, 20 Dec. 2024
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Knowing the specific mechanism could help slow the spread.Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 20 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Hundreds were detained and more than 100 treated for injuries.Sophiko Megrelidze, Los Angeles Times, 15 Dec. 2024
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Mangione has been detained at the State Correctional Institution at Huntingdon in Pennsylvania since he was denied bail late Monday.Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 14 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Blockchain thus provides companies and banks a way to undo Basel II’s and Basel III’s retarding effect on trade finance while complying with their requirements.Rebecca Liao, Foreign Affairs, 16 Aug. 2017
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Turning the lithium oxide—the product of discharging the battery—back to lithium is difficult and only partially possible even when assisted by special catalysts: The oxide builds up and retards the process, limiting the number of charge-discharge cycles to a mere handful.IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 31 Jan. 2011
Thesaurus Entries Near setback
Cite this Entry
“Setback.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/setback. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
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