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.

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

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in July that Iran’s program had been set back by “one to two years.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 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

As the last house on its street, it was set back from the surrounding properties and shielded by a grove.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros