setback

American  

[set-bak] / ˈsɛtˌbæk /

noun

• setbacks
  plural

1. a check to progress; a reverse or defeat.

   The new law was a setback.

2. Architecture. a recession of the upper part of a building from the building line, as to lighten the structure or to permit a desired amount of light and air to reach ground level at the foot of the building.

3. an act or instance of setting back.

   A nightly setback of your home thermostats can save a great deal of fuel.

4. Also a downward temperature adjustment of a thermostat, especially performed automatically, as by a timer.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• setbacks
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of setback

First recorded in 1665–75; noun use of verb phrase set back

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Explanation

A setback is an event that makes you lose progress or keeps you from gaining ground. If you're knitting a sweater, dropping a bunch of stitches would be a big setback. If warring countries are negotiating a treaty, a sudden resurgence of fighting would be a huge setback for their peace plan. And if you're trying to finish baking in time for you friend's birthday party, knocking the frosted cake onto the floor would also be a setback. Setbacks are always frustrating — unless you're talking about the kind of setback that's defined as "a building's distance from the street."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

setback setbacks

"After a setback in July, Germany's cyclical rebound gained new momentum in August," he said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026

"Every setback also has a positive side. If you overcome these challenges then you become stronger, more resilient."

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

Mortgage rates surged to roughly a three-year high, a fresh setback for an already depressed housing market.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 1, 2026

The Patriots won only once during their nonleague schedule against Southern Section teams and took a setback last week in a loss to Harvard-Westlake.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026

“Good or bad, you’ve got Quinton’s same fire in your blood. That same stubborn determination, minus a setback or two.”

From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston

Novartis shelves a study for Fabhalta in patients with a serious kidney-disease complication, adding to a growing list of clinical setbacks.

From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2026

European organisers, including those in France and, more recently, the Netherlands, have encountered similar setbacks.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

Coach Sean McVay has said that, barring setbacks, he expected Donald would play against the Bills.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2026

From a £9m prospect to a £1m gamble and eventually a £117m Chelsea signing, his story is a reminder that some of the best footballers need to overcome setbacks from a young age.

From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026

The bouts of progress began to seem like no progress at all; the family braced for them just the same as for the setbacks.

From "Typical American" by Gish Jen

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Related Words

• blow
• defeat
• delay
• difficulty
• hindrance
• impediment
• misfortune
• obstacle
• reversal
• set-back
• slowdown
• stumbling block
• trouble

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