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.

Again, Iran’s missile program was said to have been set back by years.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

Covid set back the fight against hunger worldwide.

From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026

In Los Angeles, he immediately confronted a school district in which many students had long struggled to achieve and were further set back, academically and emotionally, by the COVID-19 pandemic.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 25, 2026

However, the damage did significantly set back Iran’s program, perhaps by a few years.

From Slate • Feb. 19, 2026

We went down the street and turned into a bit of lawn in which, set back from the street, stood a one storey building of brick trimmed with white.

From "The Sound and the Fury" by William Faulkner