sets back

verb

present tense third-person singular of set back
as in holds back

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sets back
  1. holds back
  2. holds up
  3. delays
  4. slows
  5. stems
  6. blocks
  7. keeps
  8. detains
Verb
  • Samsung traditionally holds back one color in the Galaxy S range to be a web exclusive and drive consumers to its website, although typically this is one of the standard black or grey colors.
    — Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 30 May 2026
  • The hydropower from Glen Canyon Dam that holds back Lake Powell serves more than 350,000 homes.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 May 2026
Definition of holds back
Verb
  • However, that lofty goal holds up only until personal beliefs collide with reality.
    — Oline Cogdill, Sun Sentinel, 24 Aug. 2026
  • The diagnosis holds up, and the crypto casino economy has grown on that demand.
    — Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of holds up
Verb
  • So pretending imbalance isn't happening — like when one partner is regularly absorbing all the work and smiling through it — just delays the same resentment that often festers in exchange relationships.
    — Mark Travers, CNBC, 30 Aug. 2026
  • That is not only a problem for expanding power grid infrastructure to support growing electricity demand, but also delays the process of replacing aging power transformers.
    — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of delays
Verb
  • Stewart is trying to turn that around as consumer demand slows.
    — Michael Wayland, CNBC, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Their low thermal conductivity slows the movement of heat into the metal underneath.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of slows
Verb
  • The affordability issue stems more from the fact that wages have not kept pace with cost of living increases over those 20 years.
    — Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Over time, this can result in long stretches of bare stems closer to the pot as the plant concentrates on developing new growth on the tips of the vines.
    — Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of stems
Verb
  • The effect essentially gives Roman a parking spot in space, enabling engineers on Earth to remain in constant contact with the telescope, while making sure Earth never blocks its view of the cosmos.
    — Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 30 Aug. 2026
  • If the teams refuse to enroll the players who benefit from the TRO, those players could petition Hoffman to clarify that his order also blocks the SEC from punishing schools.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of blocks
Verb
  • Developed by researchers at the University of Queensland and the University of New South Wales (UNSW), the technology keeps critical medical decisions under human control while the cockroaches navigate difficult environments.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Drapery panels in Jim Thompson’s Choisya, trimmed in Samuel & Sons, frame the couple’s vintage breakfront, which keeps Khouri’s Royal Crown Derby china within reach.
    — Caroline Randall Williams, Architectural Digest, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of keeps
Verb
  • The Midwest Regional Reception Center detains close to 500 fathers, mothers, spouses, cousins and friends on behalf of ICE.
    — Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The policy guidance applies to agents under Enforcement and Removal Operations, the branch of ICE that detains and ultimately deports undocumented immigrants.
    — Philip Wang, Time, 14 July 2026
Definition of detains
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

sets at
sets back
sets by
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sets back.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sets%20back. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All