setback
Americannoun
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a check to progress; a reverse or defeat.
The new law was a setback.
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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.
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an act or instance of setting back.
A nightly setback of your home thermostats can save a great deal of fuel.
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Also a downward temperature adjustment of a thermostat, especially performed automatically, as by a timer.
Etymology
Origin of setback
First recorded in 1665–75; noun use of verb phrase set back
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“He has not had a setback, but we’re hoping he gets to play tomorrow. But again, it’s all about how he feels tomorrow.”
From Los Angeles Times
Professional setbacks can be opportunities in disguise: a chance to look inward, take stock and grow as a person.
From Los Angeles Times
When people believe they cannot grow or improve, setbacks feel like proof that they never deserved success in the first place.
From Science Daily
The influential midfielder suffered several setbacks, the latest a hamstring problem, while attempting to recover from the severe knee injury that ruled him out for much of last season.
From Barron's
Some of the accused faced temporary setbacks, but most returned to work and structural power imbalances largely remain.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
