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
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
Chad Graff, The Athletic, 24 Nov. 2024
Studies have produced a range of estimates for the death toll over the course of 30 years as a result of the radiation release — but it is often cited as having set back America's nuclear-energy push for a generation.
—Rob Wile, NBC News, 20 Sep. 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
Their 1-3 stretch without their starting quarterback set back their postseason aspirations, but suddenly the Dolphins are surging at the right time.
—Chad Graff, The Athletic, 24 Nov. 2024
Studies have produced a range of estimates for the death toll over the course of 30 years as a result of the radiation release — but it is often cited as having set back America's nuclear-energy push for a generation.
—Rob Wile, NBC News, 20 Sep. 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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The way to go at the bottom is to dollar cost average in and the way to get out is the same in reverse.Clem Chambers, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024
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Jeremy Rivas scored on a four-yard reverse and Hector Gonzalez caught the two-point toss from Carlos Herrera for the game’s last points with 12 seconds left.Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 30 Nov. 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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President-elect Donald Trump, who has vowed to shake things up after returning to office, may delay Artemis even further.George Petras, USA TODAY, 15 Dec. 2024
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The looming multi-billion-dollar budget shortfall in Annapolis strongly suggests that some elements of the Blueprint may have to be delayed and, presumably, that includes spending more on teacher pay.Baltimore Sun Editorial Board, Baltimore Sun, 15 Dec. 2024
Verb
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During the shutdown over the 2018 holiday season, air traffic controllers threatened to walk off the job, and a higher rate of absences slowed down travel in some airports.Brian Bennett, TIME, 20 Dec. 2024
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It's been too strange of a week to ponder things like slowing down Detroit's run game or improving the Titans' downfield attack.Nick Suss, The Tennessean, 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 26 Dec. 2024.
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