setback

American  

[set-bak] / ˈsɛtˌbæk /

noun

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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Etymology

Origin of setback

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

Example Sentences

Amplitude experienced a setback when an earlier exploration well at the adjacent Elanora prospect didn’t turn up commercial quantities of natural gas.

From The Wall Street Journal

The 200-week moving average has historically served as bottoming point for the stocks of companies with intact long-term growth stories facing temporary stock setbacks.

From MarketWatch

But the company has had its fair share of setbacks.

From MarketWatch

He added: "For a club of Spurs' ambitions and financial scale, relegation would not simply be a short-term sporting setback. The economics of English football make recovery a multi-year project."

From BBC

It comes just days after one of the most significant setbacks of his presidency.

From Barron's

Related Words

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