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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of setback
Ashley Donohoe, Sacramento Bee, 21 Mar. 2025
From its first broadcast in the months after Pearl Harbor, VOA promised to tell the truth, including American setbacks and criticism of U.S. policies and actions.
—Al Pessin, Orlando Sentinel, 21 Mar. 2025
Raj Sharma, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025
By 2024, he was firmly established as the Mets' starting catcher, but the thumb injury set back his progress.
—William Lambers, Newsweek, 9 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for setback
Noun
One late payment could be a major setback Missing a debt consolidation loan or credit card payment can result in extra charges and hurt your credit.
—Ashley Donohoe, Sacramento Bee, 21 Mar. 2025
From its first broadcast in the months after Pearl Harbor, VOA promised to tell the truth, including American setbacks and criticism of U.S. policies and actions.
—Al Pessin, Orlando Sentinel, 21 Mar. 2025
Verb
Lack of timely and detailed communication can lead to costly mistakes and set back the integration timeline, potentially leading to loss of deal value.
—Raj Sharma, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025
By 2024, he was firmly established as the Mets' starting catcher, but the thumb injury set back his progress.
—William Lambers, Newsweek, 9 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for setback
Recent Examples of Synonyms for setback
Noun
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In a major policy reversal, the SEC rescinded Staff Accounting Bulletin 121 — a controversial rule that required banks to treat crypto assets as liabilities on their balance sheets.—
MacKenzie Sigalos,Ari Levy,
CNBC,
22 Mar. 2025
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In a significant policy reversal, which will come into effect on March 27, the SSA will resume withholding 100 percent of Social Security payments to reclaim any overpayments.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
22 Mar. 2025
Verb
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With that in mind, Barca did not hold back in the second leg.—
Laia Cervelló Herrero,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
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Front-line employees can either supercharge their efforts through AI or hold back the value of transformation through misuse or misunderstanding.—
Jason Snyder,
Forbes.com,
27 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The scene was vaguely reminiscent of boxers who cut weight before their bouts, except in reverse.—
Scott Cacciola,
New York Times,
23 Mar. 2025
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The song vies to add to the prevalence of women in rap pulling an Uno reverse on rap’s coarse misogyny, slinging back the mud that male artists have thrown on women for years.—
Andre Gee,
Rolling Stone,
19 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The pink cubes of tuna were fresh, the guacamole was citrusy and bright, and the chips held up well to the toppings.—
Kaitlyn Rosati,
New York Daily News,
19 Mar. 2025
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Higher proof bourbons hold up well to dilution, while those with pronounced spice or sweetness enhance the classic cocktail’s complexity.—
Emily Price,
Forbes,
19 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Broken cross-department collaboration exacerbates inefficiencies, delaying decision-making and execution.—
Joao Mendes-Roter,
Forbes.com,
27 Mar. 2025
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Still, some who have been focused on TCE were surprised that the Trump administration was delaying and reconsidering the recent ban.—
Sharon Lerner,
ProPublica,
26 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Heathrow — where the U.K. government plans to build a third runway — was at the heart of a shorter disruption in 2023 when Britain’s air traffic control system was hit by a breakdown that slowed takeoffs and landings across the U.K. on one of the busiest travel days of the year.—
Danica Kirka,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Mar. 2025
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In New Orleans, Arthur Johnson said the loss of federal grant money might slow down the work, but won't stop it.—
Eva Tesfaye,
NPR,
21 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The act is a wartime law that grants the commander in chief authority to detain or deport non-citizens.—
Paul Du Quenoy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Mar. 2025
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On March 19, police officers — acting on instructions from the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP — detained İmamoğlu.—
Bilal Bilici,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2025
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
Cite this Entry
“Setback.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/setback. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.
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