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
Connie Ogle, Miami Herald, 16 Jan. 2025
Law Supreme Court kills Biden's student debt plan in a setback for millions of borrowers
Biden's Plan B, which would have helped a smaller pool of borrowers, was also challenged in court and, last month, abandoned by the administration.
—Cory Turner, NPR, 16 Jan. 2025
Jennifer Jett, NBC News, 26 Dec. 2024
Cal Fire spokesman Chris Thomas told The New York Times that grounding the aircraft will likely set back local firefighting efforts.
—Jess Weatherbed, The Verge, 10 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for setback 
Noun
The sudden closure isn’t the only setback Square Pie City has faced in the past year.
—Connie Ogle, Miami Herald, 16 Jan. 2025
Law Supreme Court kills Biden's student debt plan in a setback for millions of borrowers
Biden's Plan B, which would have helped a smaller pool of borrowers, was also challenged in court and, last month, abandoned by the administration.
—Cory Turner, NPR, 16 Jan. 2025
Verb
Tsunami shelters dot the shoreline, set back from the beach, while alert towers are equipped with loudspeakers and signs mark evacuation routes — all parts of a warning system that did not exist in 2004.
—Jennifer Jett, NBC News, 26 Dec. 2024
Cal Fire spokesman Chris Thomas told The New York Times that grounding the aircraft will likely set back local firefighting efforts.
—Jess Weatherbed, The Verge, 10 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for setback
Recent Examples of Synonyms for setback
Noun
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For a bullish set-up, traders look for RSI to rise back above the 30 level, signaling a reversal.—
Nishant Pant,
CNBC,
21 Jan. 2025
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His promotion of Tiktok is a reversal from 2020, when Trump attempted to ban the platform.—
Danielle Kurtzleben,
NPR,
19 Jan. 2025
Verb
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In that regard, the Inside the NBA analyst did not hold back amid this second Butler team suspension, one scheduled to end with Saturday night’s game against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
24 Jan. 2025
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Amorim has always been a firm believer that honesty is the best policy, whether that be with his players, staff or the media, and the 39-year-old has not held back in his assessment of Manchester United.—
Charlotte Harpur,
The Athletic,
24 Jan. 2025
Noun
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That’s proof positive that our Dividend Magnet—or the tendency for dividend growth to propel share prices higher—also works in reverse.—
Brett Owens,
Forbes,
22 Jan. 2025
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Douglas Watkins of McDowell County does it in reverse, so to speak.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
21 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Mainland Chinese stocks held up better, falling 6% — which Citi analysts attributed to easier monetary policy and falling Chinese government bond yields.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
19 Jan. 2025
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Opposite him, Riley Moss has the skills and mentality to hold up to frequent targeting by opposing quarterbacks.—
Parker Gabriel,
The Denver Post,
17 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Hours after taking office, Trump signed multiple executive orders, including one action delaying a nationwide ban of the social media platform TikTok.—
Alex Thomas,
arkansasonline.com,
26 Jan. 2025
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Construction on the museum began in 2005, yet years of economic instability, political turmoil, and COVID-19 delayed development.—
Kate McMahon,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Opponents tackle him to slow his dangerous passing gear.—
Bryce Miller,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
20 Jan. 2025
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Granted, the Commanders have rarely slowed any rushing attack, ranking 30th in the regular season.—
Ben Standig,
The Athletic,
20 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Arrested in March 2022 and detained before trial, he was given the longest sentence related to the Jan. 6 attack at the time.—
Claire Healy,
Miami Herald,
25 Jan. 2025
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The documents do not mention on what grounds the individuals were detained but did list party affiliation – including Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group.—
Sophie Tanno,
CNN,
25 Jan. 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
Thesaurus Entries Near setback
Cite this Entry
“Setback.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/setback. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
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