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.

What on earth were they thinking, knowing how many lives were taken that day and how seriously that set back our country's justice and history?

From BBC • May 19, 2026

“Greeted with grace, the residence welcomes you with gated tree lined canopy entry set back nicely from the street,” the description continues.

From MarketWatch • May 18, 2026

Millennials, who everyone worried would be permanently set back by the 2008-09 financial crisis, are earning solid incomes, buying homes and surpassing their parents.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

The negative regulatory news has set back the company’s commercial ambitions and erased the stock’s earlier gains.

From Barron's • Mar. 2, 2026

The college lay in summer twilight, set back from the road by a long, sloping lawn.

From "Homecoming" by Cynthia Voigt