How to Use setback in a Sentence

setback

1 of 2 noun
Definition of setbacknext
Synonyms for setbacknext
  • Despite some early setbacks, they eventually became a successful company.
  • That in no way means the biggest setbacks failed to sting.
    — Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 May 2023
  • The talks were cut short, and both sides blamed each other for the setbacks.
    — Chris Massaro, Fox News, 1 Nov. 2023
  • Pittman was asked how the Hogs could turn the tight-game setbacks into wins.
    — Tom Murphy, Arkansas Online, 10 Oct. 2023
  • The Netflix series has been plagued by setbacks in the best.
    — Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 1 July 2024
  • Despite the setback, morale was high on the picket line.
    — Christi Carras, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2023
  • But the system that has ruled Iran since 1979 will find a way through this setback and churn on.
    — Daniel Depetris, Chicago Tribune, 21 May 2024
  • Those could face a setback if BA.2.86 is able to spread more widely.
    — Alexander Tin, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2023
  • In a post on X, the party pledged to overcome the setback and work for a better life for all Thais.
    — Patpicha Tanakasempipat and Suttinee Yuvejwattana / Bloomberg, TIME, 14 Aug. 2024
  • The Boilers are coming off a 68-54 loss to Maryland, which marked the team's third straight setback on the road.
    — Evan Frank, The Indianapolis Star, 18 Feb. 2023
  • And a slew of setbacks in recent weeks suggests the odds of a shutdown are at least even.
    — Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 22 Feb. 2024
  • Seattle was on the fringes of being in the AL wild-card race after the Aug. 1 setback to Boston.
    — Matt Goul, cleveland, 1 Sep. 2023
  • Pinnacle got bumped from the Open in the second round, an 87-34 setback.
    — Richard Obert, The Arizona Republic, 22 Feb. 2023
  • The company’s decline was just the first domino in a string of setbacks.
    — Victoria Moorwood, The Enquirer, 21 Oct. 2024
  • The separation of the Iskandar studios from the Pinewood group in 2019 was both a setback and a surprise.
    — Patrick Frater, Variety, 6 Apr. 2023
  • The setback, announced Thursday, will cut the company’s size to 220 workers by the end of the first quarter of this year.
    — Jonathan Wosen, STAT, 5 Jan. 2023
  • But there were setbacks along the way that kept delaying his return.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 6 Apr. 2024
  • The Sixers will likely tread cautiously with Melton for at least the next week or two to avoid any setbacks.
    — Bryan Toporek, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024
  • Meanwhile, Apple tried to claw its way back from a series of setbacks.
    — Laura Bratton, Quartz, 8 Mar. 2024
  • Despite the personal setback, O’Malley used that time to hone his skills.
    — Ben Morse, CNN, 14 Sep. 2024
  • Senga made it through without any setbacks and can advance to the next step in his rehab.
    — Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 4 July 2024
  • That setback came as a financial blow for Sage and Biogen.
    — Robert Weisman, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Aug. 2023
  • Prince Harry suffered a setback in his lawsuit against the publisher of tabloid The Sun.
    — Justin Ray, Robb Report, 28 July 2023
  • The son of the late Loretta Lynn is back in the hospital in the latest setback in his ongoing illness.
    — Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 6 May 2024
  • In the month since the settlement, Fox has refused to comment in detail on the case or the many subsequent setbacks.
    — Jeremy W. Peters, New York Times, 27 May 2023
  • Keep your long-term vision in mind, and don't be discouraged by short-term setbacks.
    — Vikram Joshi, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
  • The Gardners opened the season with two first-places and have overcome any setbacks to come out better than before.
    — Christopher Kuhagen, Journal Sentinel, 1 May 2024
  • After three decades of stalling and setbacks, what has suddenly changed?
    — John Sharp | Jsharp@al.com, al, 8 May 2023
  • The Aggies’ lone loss during that span was a 99-86 setback at New Mexico.
    — Ron Counts, Idaho Statesman, 26 Jan. 2024
  • The issue that triggered this setback was a malfunctioning throttle, attributed to a piece of rubber lodged in the throttle body.
    — David Faris, Newsweek, 2 Nov. 2024
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set back

2 of 2 verb
  • The Navy asserts the crime set back the cleanup by years.
    — Ralph Vartabedian, New York Times, 27 Sep. 2023
  • The quest to set back the clock, and look youthful is an aptly old tale.
    — Chloe Berger, Fortune Well, 15 July 2023
  • The single-story ranch house was set back from the road.
    — AZCentral.com, 6 Oct. 2022
  • Wendy’s is 20% from its 52-week high set back in August of last year.
    — Jason Gewirtz, CNBC, 14 Aug. 2024
  • All children have been set back by the decision to close the schools due to covid.
    — Susan Dreisch, Baltimore Sun, 17 May 2022
  • The Detroit Red Wings' bid for a playoff spot was set back by one of the best goaltenders in the game.
    — Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press, 26 Feb. 2023
  • In the first game of the series, the Reds were set back by defensive mistakes.
    — Charlie Goldsmith, The Enquirer, 23 June 2022
  • Railroad stocks were set back earlier in the week on the strike fears.
    — WSJ, 15 Sep. 2022
  • How long the delays would set back the overall plan remains to be seen.
    — David Lyons, sun-sentinel.com, 18 Aug. 2020
  • That’s more than 30 cents higher than a month ago, and 65 cents less than the all-time high set back in mid-June.
    — William Thornton | Wthornton@al.com, al, 3 Nov. 2022
  • There needed to be a little farmhouse set back from the road.
    — Charlie Hobbs, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Dec. 2023
  • He’s been set back with his finger thing, and trying to play through that at times has been tough as of late.
    — Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 21 Sep. 2022
  • The display is located above the dashboard and set back, out of the driver's reach.
    — Joann Muller, Axios, 18 July 2024
  • The hole is set back in the timber under a flightline where ducks trade between refuges.
    — Joe Genzel, Outdoor Life, 4 Sep. 2024
  • Kennedy thought there was likely to be violence, and that would set back the cause of civil rights.
    — John Leland, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2023
  • But that was set back by two days of bad weather in Ohio, their previous stopover.
    — Andrew Johnston, Chicago Tribune, 26 Sep. 2024
  • The upstairs unit has a private entrance and is set back from the courtyard by a deck with a keyhole ocean view.
    — Sophy Chaffee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Aug. 2022
  • With the clocks having just been set back, afternoon turned to night somewhere around noon.
    — Dave Eggers, The New Yorker, 9 Nov. 2020
  • Sadly, his campaign was set back at the end of his first term by forces beyond his control.
    — Daniel Foster, National Review, 30 Nov. 2023
  • Spieth posted four birdies in Round 2, but was set back by five bogeys.
    — Sportsday Staff, Dallas News, 18 June 2023
  • The start of the exam was set back at some test centers, as students had problems connecting to the Wi-Fi.
    — Alessandro Marazzi Sassoon, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2024
  • In between are leafy neighborhoods of houses with wide lawns and big porches set back from the street.
    — Charles McGrath, The New Yorker, 7 Aug. 2023
  • Saltonstall approaches a shed set back from the eroding cliff.
    — WIRED, 26 Aug. 2023
  • When daylight saving time ends, clocks are set back an hour, giving us an extra hour of sleep.
    — Karen Bartunek, The Arizona Republic, 5 Oct. 2024
  • The prime minister of Qatar, a key mediator between the sides, said Haniyeh’s death would set back truce talks.
    — Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 31 July 2024
  • The bright, cozy cottages are set back from the main area amid the farm’s vines and orchards, while the garden cottages are a short stroll away from all the tours and facilities.
    — Heather Richardson, Travel + Leisure, 11 July 2023
  • Yet as fans already know, the film’s opening sequence is set back in Indy’s glory days.
    — James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Feb. 2023
  • On wide downtown blocks, bus stops are curbside, but on narrower streets they’re set back behind the grass line.
    — Andrew Leland, The New Yorker, 8 July 2023
  • Shrouded by trees and set back from the street, the place is smaller than Fike’s previous digs, with a white-brick fireplace and tasteful light-wood floors.
    — Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2023
  • The crisis has set back available shipping routes by more than a century.
    — Tribune News Service, Hartford Courant, 10 Jan. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'setback.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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