SETBACKS Synonyms: 27 Similar and Opposite Words

setbacks

noun

plural of setback

as in reversals

a change in status for the worse usually temporarily the colonists persevered despite suffering setbacks that would have discouraged lesser souls

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

status quos

Example Sentences

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Recent Examples of setbacks Trump has placed tariffs at the center of his agenda throughout his second term in the White House, though his use of the economic tool has faced some major legal setbacks and stoked heated pushback from other countries. — Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 25 Aug. 2026 Instead, the program faced regulatory hurdles, technical setbacks, and noise complaints from residents. — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2026 Brooks hasn’t experienced any setbacks in his return from a second ACL surgery, which kept him out the entire 2025 season. — Joseph Person, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026 Shadow's new companion was spotted just days after his longtime mate, Jackie, died after nearly a month of health setbacks stemming from anemia and a mystery illness. — Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026 How up to date was Aston Martin leadership on these staffing setbacks, per se? — Jerry Perez, The Drive, 20 Aug. 2026 Iran has demonstrated its ability to effectively control the Strait of Hormuz and to strike American allies in the region, and setbacks to allies such as Hezbollah are unlikely to permanently end Tehran’s ability to project power through proxies. — Marc Lynch, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026 Maintain momentum by reframing delays as opportunities to take daily action towards your objective, rather than setbacks. — Bykaren R. McDaniel, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026 Strides and setbacks in justice Guatemala was once seen as a regional model for tackling corruption through its International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala, or CICIG, which countries such as El Salvador and Honduras tried to emulate. — Yuliana Ramazzini, Christian Science Monitor, 17 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for setbacks

Noun

Following strong reversals from those lows, GPC went on to produce multi-year advances of approximately 180%, 375%, and 280%, respectively.

— Frank Cappelleri, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2026
Pharmaceutical companies will be looking for changes at the agency, too, after rejections or reversals of biotech drugs intended for rare diseases.

— Matthew Perrone, Chicago Tribune, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of reversals

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set back

setbacks

set by

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“Setbacks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/setbacks. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of setbacks

noun

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