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
Kate Gibson, CBS News, 5 Nov. 2024
Here are 10 thoughts after the latest setback, with tension sure to mount at Halas Hall.
—Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune, 4 Nov. 2024
Jenny Porter Tilley, The Indianapolis Star, 4 Oct. 2024
The Cowboys were nearly set back after a holding penalty inside the 10 but rebounded to punch it in.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC News, 27 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for setback 
Noun
For Boeing, the strike that began on Sept. 13 marked the latest setback for the manufacturing giant, which has been the focus of multiple federal probes after a door plug blew off a 737 Max plane during an Alaska Airlines flight in January.
—Kate Gibson, CBS News, 5 Nov. 2024
Here are 10 thoughts after the latest setback, with tension sure to mount at Halas Hall.
—Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune, 4 Nov. 2024
Verb
In this episode, Marshall sets back his watch anyway.
—Jenny Porter Tilley, The Indianapolis Star, 4 Oct. 2024
The Cowboys were nearly set back after a holding penalty inside the 10 but rebounded to punch it in.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC News, 27 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for setback
Recent Examples of Synonyms for setback
Noun
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Those reversals all took place in races where there was a less than 0.06% difference between the candidates.Alison Durkee, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
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The startling reversal driven by the gender gap and the strength of independent women, who back Harris by a 28-point margin.NBC News, NBC News, 3 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Interest rates might edge down a bit more in the coming weeks, but many consumers and business owners could hold back borrowing if postelection tension and uncertainty revs up.Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press, 6 Nov. 2024
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At the same time as zero-Covid was holding back China’s economy, Beijing in 2020-2021 decided that the country needed to shift away from real estate development as an engine of growth and toward higher-technology pursuits.Milton Ezrati, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
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The filters of his kidneys were working in reverse, causing his body to lose protein, damaging his kidneys in the process.Kate Aurthur, Variety, 31 Oct. 2024
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While upright, the Tower represents sudden, often chaotic transformation, but the warning is about the dangers of stagnation and holding on too tightly to the old when in reverse.Valerie Mesa, People.com, 24 Oct. 2024
Verb
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While not bulletproof, the roofs hold up better against hail, reducing the need to file claims and pay deductibles.Aldo Svaldi, The Denver Post, 10 Nov. 2024
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The mechanics of the plot itself don’t quite hold up under scrutiny, which is a shame when the dialogue, performances and filmmaking craft are so tightly woven, moving in perfect sync.Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 7 Nov. 2024
Verb
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In August 2024, the Financial Times reported that 40% of more than 100 projects evaluated were delayed.James Morton Turner, Discover Magazine, 9 Nov. 2024
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This year, state laws still in place in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin prohibiting election workers from counting early votes until Election Day are expected to delay results again.Rachel Barber, The Indianapolis Star, 6 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Unfortunately, emissions are still slowing much too slowly to prevent catastrophic climate change.Melvin Backman, Quartz, 15 Nov. 2024
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In its second half, Say Nothing dramatically slows down to transition into a meditation on the messy costs that comes with war.Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 14 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Limited Options for Release While some Americans detained in Russia have been released in high-profile prisoner swaps, not all face clear pathways to freedom.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
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President Bola Tinubu on Monday ordered the release of all minors detained during anti-government protests in August and dropped the charges against them.Reuters, CNN, 5 Nov. 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 21 Nov. 2024.
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